
Cilass__X "^^iiL 



OR, THE 



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70 2- 



Guide Book to 




FURNISHING THE MOST ACCDRATK AND DETAILED 

THE VARIED ELEMENTS OF WEALTH IN ALABAMA, WHETHER OF MINE, 
FIELD, OR FOREST, TOGETHER WITH CAREFULLY PRE- 
PARED MAPS AND CHARTS ILLUSTRATIVE OF 
THE NUMEROUS ADVANTAGES POS- 
SESSED BY THE STATE. 



Rev. B. IT-. RILEY, 33. 33. 

Adopted by the State by an Act Approved February 28, 1887. 



TI3:iR33 E33ITI01Sr 

CAREFULLY REVISED TO DATE, 



MONTGOMERY, ALA.: 

THE brown PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS AND BINDERS. 
1893. 



By trapfrfter 
FEB 131908 



t PREFACE. 



<^ (|§|1LABAMA as it is, or the Immigrant's and Capitalists' 

^1p Guide Book to Alabama, undertakes to meet a demand which 
^^^^ has long existed. Valuable works upon the varied resources 
the State have been published, but they have not met the popular of 
demand for a systematic treatise, and one written in the language 
common to the people. 

Either these works have been restricted in their treatment, or 
they have so abounded in technical terms, that, irrespective of the 
importance of the matter which they have contained, the manner 
of conveying it has generally been such as to make it of little 
interest to the average reader. It has been the aim of the author 
of this little work to write for the people, .and to clothe every 
subject touched upon in such language as to make it not only 
interesting, but a matter of profit to the average reader. Hence, 
f\\\ technical terms have been eschewed. It is believed that the 
learned who may chance to read the book will not object to this, 
while the man unfamiliar with scientific phraseology will appre- 
ciate it. The volume is the result of much labor, extending 
through several years. To secure the most authentic information, 
required an extensive correspondence with reliable citizens in 
every county in the State, and involved much travel and research 
on the part of the writer. Attention is directed to the systematic 
arrangement of the volume. 

The State is divided into four grand divisions, viz: The Cereal, 
Mineral, Cotton and Timber Belts. A general description of the 
prevailing characteristics of each belt is given, and that is fol- 
lowed by a description of each county in the following order: 
Date of formation, after whom or what named, population in 1870 
and 1880, number of whites and blacks, area, number of acres of 
tilled land, how divided among the products, production of cotton, 
topography of the county, its fruits, minerals, timbers, streams, 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



chief towns, railroads (finished or projected), schools, churches, 
prices of laud, and number of acres of Government lands. 

Special attention has been given the places of interest and cen- 
ters of population in the State. Their advantages have been 
clearly pointed out, and whatever facilities they possess for future 
development have been fairly indicated. 

Important chapters have been added upon the river ways, 
healthfulness,. and educational system of Alabama. The two last 
named items are matters of important inquiry to the seekers of 
homes. They aie entirely authentic, the chapter upon The 
Health of Alabama having been prepared by R. D. Webb, M. D., 
a native Alabamian, a gentleman of scientific research and an 
ex-president of the State Medical Association. The one upon The 
Educational System of Alabama was prepared by the recent 
Superintendent of Education of the State, Hon. Solomon Palmer. 

The work throughout has been done with the most scrupulous 
and painstaking care. There has been no straining after facts, 
no guesswork, and no disposition to conceal tha. disadvantages of 
any section. The author begs to acknowledge his indebtedness 
to the latest Manual and Statistical Register of Hon. Joseph 
Hodgson ; The Handbook of Alabama, by Saffold Berney, Esq. ; 
The Geological Survey of Dr. Eugene A. Smith, State Geologist; 
and The Survey of the Warrior Coalfield, by Prof. Henry McCul- 
ley. Assistant State Geologist. 

Indebtedness is also acknowledged to the many gentlemen who, 
from the different counties, replied with promptness to applica- 
tions for information and for numerous expressions of encourage- 
ment while the work was being prosecuted. Arduous and 
protracted as the labor has been, it has been attended with the 
hope that it might contribute to the development of the resources 
of Alabama. 

Marred, as it doubtless is by defects, the little volume is sent 
upon the mission foi- which it was designed — that of guiding 
capitalists and seekers of homes to the investigation of the claims 
of Alabama. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 




j^^'N OLD tradition represents an Indian warrior as 
i having grown weary of the bloody strifes of some 
^eastern region, and as having resolved to seek a more 
'M^quiet abode in the far-off land toward the setting sun. 
^^ Making his way over swollen rivers and through 
-^ tangled forests, he came at length to the fertile lands 
and clear streams of Alabama. Charmed by the 
tokens of plentitude and the romantic scenery, pictured in the 
blooming valleys, the limpid streams, the boundless plains, and 
the high mountains, he resolutely struck his spear into the earth, 
saying, "Alabama!" which, being interpreted, is said to mean, 
"Here we rest." 

Out of the mists of this favorite tradition there looms the 
truth of Alabama's greatness — her inexhaustible resources of soil 
and mine, of field and forest, her balmy climate, her wonderful 
healthfulness, and her sweeps of extended beauty. 

It may be safely said that no portion of the globe, of the same 
compass, affords a greater diversity of resources, mineral, agri- 
cultural, horticultural and otherwise, and to a greater extent, than 
that embraced within the limits of Alabama. Her soils have 
never refused to yield any production known to the Temperate 
Zone, while along the shores which front the warm waters of the 
Gulf many tropical fruits are grown with the greatest readiness. 
And such is the capability of the soils that they yield, usually, 
in vast abundance, and sometimes even to the most indolent 
culture. 

The developments which have been going on for a period of 
years in the mineral distiicts of Alabama have established the 
fact that, with respect to certain ores, she leads the other States 
of the Union, This is most notably true respecting her vast iron 



6 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



deposits. Through the agency of capital and skill the State has 
come rapidly to the front as a great manufacturing centre. Side 
by side lie her fields of coal and her domains of iron. Thus, it 
will be seen, that the State has been most liberally endowed by 
Nature'with all the conditions favorable to manafacture and agri- 
culture. The profusion of her elements for the manufactory is 
simply marvelous, and her cotton fields have won a distinction 
that is world-wide. The staple grown upon Alabama cotton 
fields commands a dominant price in the markets of the world. 
Throughout the entire length of the territory, from the utmost 
northern limits to the waters of the Mexican Gulf, there are 
found the resources of a great commonwealth. 

The magnificent wheat and corn valleys that lie along the base 
of the Cumberlands, or that follow the windings of the Tennessee; 
the high hills, with their treasures of ore; the orchards of deli- 
cious fruit; the plains of snowy cotton; the illimitable forests of 
giant timber, which have, for so many years, contributed to the 
lumber markets of the globe, and the groves of orange that dot 
her southern shores — all these attest the greatness of Alabama's 

resources. 

POSITION. 

Alabama lies one-fourth the way aroaud the globe west from 
Paris, France, and is in the same latitude as Northern Africa, 
Palestine, Central China, and Southern Japan. 

OUTLINE. 

The boundaries of Alabama may be described in the following 
manner : Beginning where the parallel of thirty- one degrees 
north latitude crosses the Perdido river; thence eastward with 
this parallel to the west bank of the Chattahooche river; thence 
northward along the west bank of the last named river to the great 
bend, next above the mouth of Uchee creek, in Kussell county; 
thence in a direct line toward the town of Nickajack, on the Ten- 
nessee river, to the parallel of thirty-five degrees north latitude; 
thence west along this parallel, to its second intersection with the 
thread, or middle line, of the Tennessee river ; thence up the river 
to the mouth of Big Bear creek, thence in a line to a point on 
Buckatunna Creek, where the old Choctaw boundary-line inter- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



sects the same; thence in a line to a point on the coast of the 
Gulf of Mexico, ten miles east from the mouth of the Pascagoula 
river ; thence eastward along said coast, and embracing all islands 
within eighteen miles of the shore, to the mouth of the Perdido 
river; thence up the thread of this stream to the point of begin- 
ning. 

AREA. 

The State has an area of 50,722 square miles, which renders it 
larger than New York, Rhode Island, and Delaware combined. 
When measured from east to west, the general width of the State 
is 175 miles, while its estimated length from north to south is 
275 miles. 

POPULATION. 

The increase of population has been so rapid within the last 
few years that it is difficult to state just now what it is. Accord- 
iug to the census of 1880, it was 1,262,505. It will scarcely fall 
short of one and one-half millions now. 

GENERAL TOPOGRAPHY. 

The termination of the Appalachian mountain chain in Northern 
Alabama renders that portion of the State rough and rugged, but 
there are no mountains of any considerable height. The eleva- 
tions rarely exceed 2,000 feet above the sea level. 

In Central Alabama there are found prevailing the foothills of 
these northern ranges, together with the rolling prairies, and the 
upper belt of the pine barrens. In the Southern portion of the 
State there is a gentle slope along a sandy coast plain to the waters 
of the Gulf. 

EXTENT OF SEA-COAST. 

Alabama has about sixty miles of sea-coast. 

SOILS. 

The soils of this State are of every possible variety, ranging, 
in point of fertility, from the thinnest sandy land to the richest 
alluvial. Along the sand mountains in the north, as well as along 
the southern shore, the soils are thin, but by no means sterile, 



8 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



while the famous Tennessee valley and the canebrake regions of 
Central and Southern Alabama haye depths of marvelous fertility. 

CLIMATE. 

Favored in many respects, Alabama is, perhaps, most highly 
favored in her superb climate. Such is the temperature of the 
State that the extremes of heat and cold never prevail. The 
influence of the mountains in the northern end of the State tones 
into blandness the heat of summer, while for many miles inland, 
the cool breezes of the waters of the Gulf fan away the sultry 
breath of summertide. Snow but seldom falls, and only thin coat- 
ings of ice are seen. The exceptions to this statement are ex- 
ceedingly rare. The streams of Alabama are not frozen over. 
Flowers blossom, fruits ripen, and vegetables prevail almost the 
year round. The mean annual temperature of the State is sixty- 
one degrees; the mercury but rarely ranges above ninety-five 
degrees even in July — the hottest month of the year. During 
the heated term the mercury ranges from sixty degrees to one 
hundred and four degrees; and during the cold season, from 
eighteen degrees to eighty-two degrees. 

The question is frequently asked by Europeans and Northern- 
ers, " Can white men labor under a summer's sun in the States of 
the South?" The answer is found in the fact that thousands of 
white men do labor beneath the suns of the South, even as far 
down as Florida. And in addition to this, it may be said that 
white men labor with remarkable success in midsummer in the 
Northern States, where the heat is greater, and the days longer; 
and what is there to prevent them laboring in the South, where 
there is less heat, and the days are shorter, and the nights of 
more refreshing coolness. Observations on temperature, made 
by scientists since 1819, have been preserved in the Smithsonian 
Institution, and from time to time published. Of late years, 
these reports have been transmitted by its secretary to the Agri- 
cultural Bureau, and have been embodied in its report. From 
an examination of these tables, and a careful comparison, it will 
be seen that the climate is more favorable for the laboring man 
in the South than in the North. True, the Northern summer is 
short — much shorter than in the South — but it is much hotter 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 9 



while it lasts. In one of his reports, Professor Henry, of the 
Smithsonian Institution, states this fact, in the following way: 
"For, though there is absolutely more heat in the latitude of New 
Orleans, during the year, than at Madison, Wisconsin, yet there 
is more heat received at this latter place during the three months 
of midsummer than in the same time at the former place." 

Of the whole number of laborers now employed in the South 
in the tillage of cotton, it is estimated that fully one-fourth are 
white men. 

NATUKAL DIVISIONS. 

So marked are the differences between the several sections of 
the State, that it is susceptible of four grand divisions, each of 
which possesses a dominating characteristic. These sections will 
be called the Cereal, Mineral, Cotton, and Timber Belts of 
Alabama. 

THE CEEEAL BELT. 

This section extends across the northern boundary of the State 
from east to west, and embraces the famous Valley of the Tennes- 
see and its tributaries. It comprises eight counties, viz: Lauder- 
dale, Limestone, Madison, Jackson, Marshall, Morgan, Lawrence, 
and Colbert. The general surface of this region is even, but 
occasional projections of the Cumberland spurs break the prevail- 
ing uniformity. The soil is quite fertile, being usually of a 
reddish cast. This reddish hue in the soil is due to the mixture 
of iron in the sandstone. AVhile this section is distinguished as 
the Cereal Belt because of its marvelous yield of grain and 
grasses, still these are not the exclusive productions of the 
counties which have already been mentioned under this head. 
For many years cotton has been extensively raised upon these 
famous red lands, and is to-day rivaling the cereals in its pro- 
duction. But cereals thrive in this tier of counties in the richest 
profusion, and, as a consequence, the raising of stock is quite 
easy and profitable. Corn, wheat, oats, barley and rye are the 
chief productions of the Cereal Belt. The hardier fruits grow 
here to great perfection. Pears, apples, peaches and grapes are 
produced in great abundance every year. For several years past 



10 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



there has been a growiug disposition on the part of farmers of 
this section to devote more time to stock-raising. This has neces- 
sarily induced the production of clovers and grasses, and thus 
there has sprung up a new b?*anch of industry. The improve- 
ment of breeds and the enlargement of herds are on the increase 
from year to year. 



THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. 

i^^pHE GREAT Valley of the Tennessee sweeps directly through 
iSSj^the cereal section. This valley is, by odds, the most charm- 
1%i^ing region in all the State. So impressed was a competent 
and impartial judge with its grandeur that he pronounced it the 
most love!}' region upon which his eyes had ever rested. He had 
seen all the splendid regions of land whose fertility and beauty had 
made them famous throughout the United States ; he had beheld 
the plains of Texas, when clad in their vernal loveliness; the 
plains of Illinois, the bluegrass regions of Kentucky, the Miami 
Valley of Ohio, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the Genesee 
Valley of New York, and yet he regarded tbe beautiful Valley of 
the Tennessee the loveliest of all. It is divided in twain by the 
magnificent river of the same name, and extends the distance of 
well nigh 200 miles. Its average width is about twenty miles- 
It reaches from Georgia on the east to Mississippi on the west. 
In its native fertility, its soil is unsurpassed. It is a goodly land, 
well watered with springs and fountains and flashing streams^ 
which gush out in icy coldness from beneath the bills and moun- 
tains. It is walled in by mountain ranges, both on the north and 
south, which protect it alike from the cold blasts of winter and 
the hot waves of summer. Along the south side of the valley 
and within twenty-five miles of the Tennessee River, lies the 
famous Warrior coalfield. Skirting the northern edge of this 
coalfield, in the foothills of the mountains, are to be found some 
of the most magnificent developments of iron ore known to the 
State. And along the bosom of the valley itself are to be found 
limestone of almost every conceivable variety, many of them be- 
ing of the purest quality. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 11 



On the northern edge of the valley, near its eastern termination 
in "Walker county, are to be found all those beds of coal which 
are developed upon the plateaus of the Cumberland Mountains 
in Tennessee. In the mountains, on the opposite side of the 
valley, are to be found the coal measures of the Warrior coal field. 

At the experimental station of the Agricultural and Mechanical 
College of Alabama, established in North Alabama some years 
ago in order to test the capabilities of the soil and illustrate the 
productiveness of different crops, it was fully demonstrated that 
clover and timothy, herd, orchard and blue grass, could be quite 
as successfully grown in this section of Alabama as in the most 
favored regions of Kentucky. This, together with the sponta- 
neity with which wild grasses and clovers spring and thrive, fully 
establish the fact that it is a region admirably adapted to stock 
raising. 

Near the town ol Courtland, in Lawrence county, is to be seen 
the splendid residence of Colonel Saunders, who has one of the 
most magnificent vineyards on the continent. It embraces almost 
every variety of grape known to American fruit growers, and the 
development attained by the fruit is perfect. 

Near the western terminus of the valley is to be found a bed 
of oolitic limestone, which is extensively used in Memphis for 
ornamental marble work. From the fragments is manufactured 
first-class lime, which is shipped to the principal cities along the 
Mississippi River. 

Upon the uncleared lands in the valley, and along the banks of 
the Tennessee River and its tributaries, as well as along the 
slopes of the neighboring mountains and foothills, are to be 
found magnificent forests of timber, comprising the noblest speci- 
mens of oak, walnut, poplar, hickory, and indeed all of the hard 
woods; while the undergrowth abounds in dogwood and pawpaw. 

Near the western end of the valley, on its southern side and 
that section which is now penetrated by the new railroad from 
Shefiield to Birmingham, are to be found some of the most exten- 
sive beds of brown iron ore of the purest quality. 

Thus, in this brief sketch, will be seen an aggregation of the 
advantages possessed by the famous Valley of the Tennessee. 



12 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Let US now turn our attention directly to the counties of the 
Cereal Belt, every one of which is found in the Valley of the 
Tennessee. 



LAUDEEDALE COUNTY. 



^IJ^AUDERDALE county is situated in the northwestern corner 
^Iflfe of Alabama, and is ioined on two sides by the States of 
^1^^ Mississippi and Tennessee. It was one of the first sections 
of Alabama settled by the whites, and was organized as a county 
before the State was constituted. It was established in 1818, and 
named for the famous Indian fighter, Col. Lauderdale, of Tennessee. 
As has been fully indicated by the description given of the Ten- 
nessee Valley, Lauderdale is located in one of the most fertile 
regions in the State. It has an area of about seven hundred 
square miles. 

Population in 1880, 21,035; population in 1890, 23,739; white, 
16,697; colored, 7,092. 

Tilled Land — Area planted in cotton, 25,082 acres; in corn, 
39,239 acres; in oats, 2,995 acres; in wheat, 729 acres; in rye, 
42 acres; in tobacco, 1 acre; cotton production, 5,156 bales. 

Lauderdale has a diversity of soil, as is abundantly indicated 
in the variety of crops grown. In the northern portion of the 
county the surface is somewhat more uneven than is that in the 
southern end. The prevailing sc il in the northern portion is of a 
grayish hue, but yields quite readily. In the south the lands are 
reddish in character. This is due to the presence of iron. These 
lands are quite fertile, and though some of them have been in 
cultivation seventy-five years, they are still productive without 
the aid of fertilizers. West of Florence, in a great bend of the 
Tennessee River, is a large body of valley land, known as the 
Colbert Reservation. It is overspread in different directions by 
some of the finest farms found in this section of Alabama. These 
valley lands, when fresh, will produce as much as one thousand 
pounds of seed cotton to the acre. The most of the cotton grown 
in the county is raised upon the red valley lands, and the product 
per acre is considerably above the average. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 13 



The chief crops of the county are cotton, corn, wheat, oats, sor- 
ghum, and sweet potatoes. Apples and peaches are grown in vast 
quantities in the orchards. These are the chief fruits, though 
other fruits are grown with success when they receive proper 
attention. This is especially true of the grape. Wild fruits 
such as hickoryuuts and berries grow in large quantities. 

At St. Florian, six miles north of Florence, a flourishing Ger- 
man colony illustrates admirably the adaptability of the county to 
the purposes of the fruit grower and truck farmer. The colony 
contains several hundred persons. Few of their holdings exceed 
fifty or eighty acres. But by a system of intensive farming they 
make these to blossom and fruit like a garden. There is no more 
worthy or thrifty population to be found in Alabama than these 
Germans. At this point the grape is found in perfection. Large 
quantities of wine, of excellent quality, is made every season. 

The chief pursuits of the people are farming, stock-raising, 
and manufacturing, to all of which the county is admirably adapted. 
For many years, the single pursuit was that of planting; but the 
superb water-power of the county, and the abundant fuel, sug- 
gested the establishment of manufactories long before the begin- 
ning of the war. Cotton and wool factories were accordingly 
established, as well as manufactories of leather. 

At this period Lauderdale was, perhaps, in advance of any other 
portion of the State in its manufactories. It is believed to be the 
pioneer county in establishing manufacturing interests. But 
these industries perished amid the ravages of war, and have been 
but partially resuscitated. The Cypress Mills, near Florence, 
have been partially rebuilt, and a cotton factory has been estab- 
lished on Cypress Creek, and is now being successfully operated 
by water. There is a large and flourishiog corn and flour mill in 
the town of Florence. The county is abundantly supplied with 
perpetual streams of water. Shoal, Cypress, Blue Water, Bluff 
and Second Creeks flow through the county from the north. 

Skirting the southwestern boundary of the county is Elk river. 
Besides these, there are many bold mountain springs, containing 
both limestone and freestone water. There are springs in several 
parts of the county that have medicinal properties, the most noted 



14 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



of these being Bailey's Springs, but a short distance from the 
town of Florence; though Taylor's Springs have a local reputation. 

In every part of the county are to be found local industries, 
such as gins, and grist and saw mills. 

There are forests of valuable timber in every part of Lauder- 
dale. These comprise several varieties of oak, poplar, chestnut, 
beech, hickory, walnut, cherry, and short-leaf pine. The forests, 
in many places, are heavily wooded with these valuable timbers. 
Facilities for transportation of products to market are already 
good, but are destined to be greatly increased at no remote 
period. 

A railroad unites Florence, the county- seat, with the Memphis 
& Charleston Railroad at Tuscumbia. Packets ply the year around 
on the Tennessee River between Florence and Cincinnati, St. 
Louis, Louisville and Evansville. The completion of the Muscle 
Shoals Canal in 1892, by the Government, opened the upper 
Tennessee for hundreds of miles. Recognizing the importance of 
this location, railroad men are projecting different lines and sys- 
tems in this direction. The Nashville & Florence Railroad was 
built from Columbia, Tennessee, to Florence, Alabama, in 189U. 
This is part of the Louisville & Nashville system. Another im- 
portant line is expected soon to be in active operation between 
Clarksville, Tennessee, and Florence. When this and other per- 
fected lines shall have reached completion, Lauderdale county will 
possess facilities for transportation equal to' those of any other 
county. 

The educational advantages of the county are superior. In the 
town of Florence, there are two schools of a high grade — the 
State Normal College for which there is an adequate annual appro- 
priation, and the Synodical Female College. Both of these insti- 
tutions of learning have superior faculties, and the schools are 
liberally patronized. Throughout the entire county there are 
good local schools, affording all the educational facilities necessary 
for common school instruction. These schools are supported by 
all the moral influence that comes of long established and well- 
regulated society. The people are law-abiding and thrifty, and 
the tone of society is elevating. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 15 



In the northei'D portioQ of the county, adjoiaing the State Ol 
Tennessee, as well as in the western portion of the county, are to 
be found excellent deposits of iron ore. The extent of the pre- 
valence of this ore is not known, as it has been only partially de- 
veloped. In the southwestern part of Lauderdale is a valuable 
cave of saltpetre. Indications of petroleum and natural gas 
abound. At this writing, a strong company is erecting machinery 
in the northern part of the county, preparatory to sinking several 
wells. This work is in the hands of experts, from the oil and gas 
districts of Pennsylvania. It is located upon Elk River. 

The chief towns of the county are Florence, the county-seat, 
— with a population of (),000 — Lexington, R )dgersville and 
Waterloo. 

FLORENCE 

excels all other places for beauty of location. One hundred and 
fifty feet above high water, on a gently rolling plateau sloping 
toward the river, excellent drainage, pure and salubrious atmos- 
phere, springs of pure ivater on every side; the view in every 
direction is grand and picturesque, with the magnificent Tennessee 
lliver flowing at its base, navigable for the largest class of steam- 
boats, with packet lines to St. Louis, Cincinnati, Evansville, and 
Paducah. Through the Muscle Shoals Canal now open communi- 
cation is had by boat with Chattanooga and Knoxville. 

There is no healthier spot in all the land. The records show a 
total exemption from malarious diseases. Indeed, the mild tem- 
]>erature, pure air and water, and good society, make Florence a 
desirable resort, both summer and winter, from the extreme heat 
of the South and the rigorous cold of the North. 

'Ihe Memphis & Charleston, Sheffield & Birmingham, and 
Nashville & Florence railroads, with their connection, atford 
(^uick and direct communication with every part of the country, 
and when several other railroads now projected, and some in 
course of construction are completed, Florence, on the Tennessee 
iliver, must become a great distributing point of the commerce of 
the South. 

The State Normal College, Florence Synodical Female College, 
and Mars Hill Academy, besides the public and private schools. 



16 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



afford every facility for educating the white children, and there 
are two excellent schools for colored children, taught by their 
own people. 

The State Normal College, above referred to, is the oldest and 
strongest of the State's institutions for the training of teachers. 
Established in 1873, from the first it took high rank. Its annual 
attendance is some 300 or over. Its graduates enjoy an enviable 
reputation throughout the State. Kecognizing the merits of this 
institution, the trustees of the Peabody Education Fund liberally 
supplement the annual appropriation made by the State. 

Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopal, Catholic and 
Christian denominations have churches, or places of worship 
where regular services are held. The Cumberland Presbyterians 
are preparing to build a church. In no town can greater har- 
mony or better Christian feeling be found than among the 
churches of Florence. 

The State, county and corporation taxes are low. The county 
and town owe no debts, and generally Lave a surplus in the 
treasury. Manufacturing companies are exempt from city taxes 
for a period of years. 

Within twenty miles north of Florence are immense beds of 
brown hematite iron ore, which yield from 54 to 60 per cent, of 
metal. The phosphorus in this ore is so little that the best 
experts in iron-making say by the Bessemer process it can be 
converted into steel from the furnace at a cost of $3.00 less than 
steel can be made at any furnace in the Ohio Yalley. Steel nails 
can be made at twenty -five cents less cost, per keg, than at 
Wheeling, or any other of the great nail factories in Ohio or 
Pennsylvania. The Nashville & Florence Eailroad, just com- 
pleted, connects Florence with these ore beds. 

The ore at Birmingham is the red variety, and they send twenty 
miles north of Florence to St. Joe for the brown ore to mix with 
the red to produce a better grade of metal, but the brown ore 
makes a fine grade of metal without mixing. The "Muscle 
Shoals" Canal, above Florence on the river, was comp ated in 
1892. This will give Florence direct communication also with 
the steel-making ores of East Tennessee and the immense coal 
fields below Chattanooga on the river, containing coal in veins 



ALABAMA AS IT IS, " 17 



from thirty to sixty inches in thickness, thus furnishing coal and 
iron almost without limit to supply the furnaces, rolling mills, 
and other industries locating there. 

In the fierce competition which has now commenced in the pro- 
duction of cheap iron, Florence, on the Tennessee, by virtue of 
her proximity to other ores not found in other localities, possesses 
advantages which cannot be equaled. 

The Tennessee River is the basal liue of the future iron 
industries centering in the coal and iron region which it pene- 
trates, giving the cheapest transportation and abundant water 
supply for steam manufacturing. Florence, owing to her remark- 
able geographical location, will necessarily concentrate the bulk 
of the industries along the line of this great waterway, the Ohio, 
Tennessee, and Mississippi Valleys, opening up an immense ter- 
ritory for the exportation of the manufactured products and im- 
portation in exchange. 

We, therefore, submit to a candid public these incontrovertible 
facts : 

1. Iron can be made more cheaply and profitably in Alabama 
than elsewhere in the United States. 

2. Pig iron can be manufactured at Florence at from one to 
two dollars less cost per ton than at any other point in the State. 

3. Iron can be transported to St. Louis from Florence at one 
dollar per ton, or less. 

4. Limestone, in exhaustible quantities, is found at Florence. 

5. It requires two to three tons of red hematite to produce 
one ton of pig metal. One and one-half tons of brown hematite 
yield one ton pig. 

6. Florence is nearer by rail to all parts of Alabama, Georgia, 
Eastern Mississippi, South Carolina, and Florida, and consid- 
erable part of East Tennessee, than any point on the Tennessee 
River. By means of short lines of railroad Florence is destined 
to become the supply depot — the distributing point for western 
prodnr^e — for all that vast area of country, and her water trans- 
portation to the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio Valleys 
guarantees cheap transportation at all times to the principal 
markets of the country. 



18 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



The coal fields of Alabama cover an area of 5,000 square miles, 
and are south of Florence, within easy reach. They are now 
reached by the Shefl&eld & Birmingham, the Louisville & Nash- 
ville, and the Mobile & Ohio Railroads. In a short time another 
railroad will be built direct from Florence through the entire 
Warrior coal measures. Coal is also obtained from East Ten- 
nessee by the Memphis & Charleston Railroad and in barges by 
the river. Another source of supply is by the Louisville & Nash- 
ville from the Kentucky mines. 

To the south of Florence, in AValker county, are the vast War- 
rior coal fields. To one unacquainted with the geology of 
Alabama a true description of the quality and vast extent of these 
coal fields would sound like the wild dream of fancy. 

Mark this: In his last annual report owr State Geologist says: 

"Allowing 1,000,000 tons of coal per square mile for every foot 
in thickness, the sum total of coal in the workable seams within 
Walker county is, according to the above estimate, about 10,600,- 
000,000 tons, which would form a solid block of coal ten miles 
long by ten miles wide by one hundred feet high. Granting, for 
various reasons, one-halt of this coal of the workable seams of 
Walker county is not available, which is a most liberal discount 
for every imaginable cause, there will still remain 5,300,000,000 
tons of mineable coal, which, with a daily output of 5,000 tons, 
cannot be exhausted in 3,000 years. The workable coal of Walker 
county may, therefore, be said to be practically inexhaustible so 
far as we are concerned. As a class these coals are bituminous 
coals, and they burn freely and are well suited for gas-making." 

So much for Florence as a theoretical seat of iron manufactory. 
Now for the facts: The Cotton & Iron Co., a Philadelphia cor- 
poration, has now in operation one of the largest and most com- 
plete blast furnaces in the South. The daily output is about 150 
tons, that grades Nos. 1 and 2 foundry. Sometime ago a Pitts- 
burgh paper stated that this furnace was making pig at a cost of 
$8.65 per ton, which is probably approximately correct. 

The North Alabama furnace has been leased to the Spathite 
Iron Co., a Nashville corporation. This company proposes to 
use the ores found in certain beds near the northern boundary of 
the county, known as Spathite ores. These ores contain a suffi- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 19 



cient quantity of carbonates to flux them, in addition to the ores 
to be combined with them. This plant has been put in first-class 
condition, and will go into blast by the 1st o£ April. 

The country north of Florence, in Wayne and Lawrence coun- 
ties, Tennessee, is practically in its primeval state so far as the 
timber is concerned. Immense poplar, white oak, maple, hickory, 
pine, cherry, walnut, and chestnut-oak trees cover the hills and 
valleys, and can be had at very low figures. 

Immense forests of chestnut-oak in the mountain counties, con- 
tiguous to the railroads, can be purchased at from $2 to $3 per 
acre. 

Quarries of beautiful marble are found in a few miles, of Flor- 
ence in close proximity to the railroad. Building stone, limestone 
and sandstone are found all over the country. 

The great variety of pure clay suitable for making firebrick, 
earthenware, pottery, tableware, building brick, tiling, etc., can 
be found in close proximity. 

In no country do the lands give to the intelligent and indus- 
trious farmer a more sure and profitable return for the labor 
bestowed. There is always a good average crop — never an en- 
tire failure. The lands are adapted to cotton, corn, tobacco, 
oats and other small grain, and every variety of grasses. 
Springs of water and clear creeks with gravel bottoms can be 
found upon almost every farm. Lands are cheap. Improved 
farms can be bought at $8 to $20 per acre. 

The vast area of open lands north of Florence afford excel- 
lent grazing for cattle and sheep for nine months of the year. 

The country roads are good and firm, and kept in good con- 
dition. 

The people are hospitable and kind. Northern people will 
meet with no jealousies or indignities. The animosities of the 
war are all buried and nearly forgotten. Yery little of politics 
are ever mentioned, and no man is ostracised because of his 
political sentiments. A man is esteemed according to his moral, 
intellectual and industrial worth — not for his political sentiments. 

Within the last few years there have been located in Florence — 

Three saw mills; four brick yards; water-works; one electric 
light; one pump factory; three planing mills; one steam laundry. 



20 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



one street railroad; one handle factory; one cotton compress; 
one furniture factory; one large stove foundry; one shoe and 
boot factory; one cracker and candy factory; one building and 
loan association; three lumber and contracting companies; one 
wooden dish factory (capacity, 75,000 daily). 

The Oheny Cotton Mills recently located, are now in process 
of construction. This company has a capital stock of $200,000, 
and will operate about 15,000 spindles. 

The Memphis & Charleston R. R. Co. is replacing the wooden 
bridge with a massive iron structure, which will be completed 
during the year. 

Though the population is rapidly increasing with the location 
of manufacturing there, and the attraction of capital and enter- 
prise to the place, values of real estate are low, and rich returns 
will surely follow the investment of capital there now. Houses 
are in demand, and those built for rental are rented before com- 
pleted. Good lots can be had at $5 and $10 per front foot. 

All desiring to move South are invited to come and investi- 
gate. The Florence Land, Mining and Manufacturing Company 
will take pleasure in answering fully all letters of inquiry, but a 
personal visit and full inspection of the advantages and resources 
of the place are asked, and is much more satisfactory, and a 
cordial welcome will be extended to all who come, and they will 
be shown around and given every means of satisfying themselves. 
In the selection of a business location a pleasant home is also 
desirable, and no place in the South offers more pleasure and 
comfort in this respect than Florence, with her warm-hearted, 
hospitable people, a society not chaotic, but already settled, an 
educational center, churches already established, abundance of 
pure water, wide streets, with beautiful shade trees and comfort- 
able and attractive houses, it presents the picture of a charming 
and comfortable home place, whose every feature speaks welcome 
to the stranger, and offers him the restful comforts which are so 
necessary to an active and busy life. 

The Florence Railroad and Improvement Company offer liberal 
inducements and free sites to industrial enterprises to locate in 
Florence. They invite correspondence. With water power from 
the hills and mountains, with a climate, the race of which can 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 21 



not be excelled, even in midsummer, with superior society and 
schools, Lauderdale offers rare advantages to those seeking homes. 
Lands may be purchased in the county at prices ranging from $5 
to $15 per acre. There are 16,000 acres of Government land in 
Lauderdale county. 



LIMESTONE COUNTY. 

^feHIS COUNTY lies directly north of the Tennessee Eiver. 
10i& It is one of the first counties formed in the State, having 
^^^ been created while Alabama was yet a territory. Its area 
comprises 500 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 21,600, population in 1890, 21,201. White, 
12,198; colored, 9,003. 

Tilled land, 96,914 acres. Area planted in cotton, 51,989 acres ; 
in corn, 39,970 acres; in oats, 2,326 acres; in wheat, 1,084 acres; 
in rye 5 acres; in tobacco, 25 acres; in sweet potatoes, 515 acres. 

Cotton Production — 8,093 bales. 

Limestone has all the varieties of soil which belong to the 
Tennessee Yalley. 

The southern portion of the county exceeds in fertility that of 
the northern. The southern has a more uniform surface, and is 
capitally adapted to the growth of all the cereals. The lands in 
this section are almost entirely cleared, and are in a fine state of 
cultivation. The bottom lands which skirt the numerous streams 
are exceediugly fertile. Notwithstandiug Limestone has long 
been recognized as one of the chief cereal counties of the State, 
and still is, the farmers are turning their attention more every 
year to the production of cotton. In 1880 the county produced 
15,724 bales. Indeed, the conclusion has been reached that the 
county is as well suited to the growth of cotton as to that of corn. 
Since the close of the war and the emancipation of the slnves, 
about one-tenth of the land has been abandoned. It is easily re- 
claimed, however, and it is as fruitful as formerly. The po( rest 
land in Limestone is susceptible of the highest degree of fertili- 
zation. 



22 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



More and more attention is being turned to stock raising. 
The grasses usually grown for stock are produced here in the 
greatest perfection, and the most sanguine expectations of stock- 
raisers have been realized. The finest pasture lands can be had 
here, the value of ^ which is greatly enhanced by the multitude of 
streams which penetrate every part of the county. Great encour- 
agement has been given stock-raisers, year by year, to improve 
the character of their breeds. 

Except upon the lowlands and near the rivers, the county is 
wonderfully healthy, and along the ridges adjoining these basins 
excellent places of residence can be had. Formerly these ridges 
were dwelling places of the wealthiest farmers in the county, while 
they cultivated the lands in the bottoms. Along these knolls, as 
almost in every part of the county, fine water is found, together 
with a salubrious climate. 

In many parts of the county are forests of timber in which are 
found hickory, poplar, chestnut, red and white oak, beech, maple, 
red and white gum, ash, walnut and cherry. 

Along the southern border of the county runs the Tennessee 
River, several of the large tributaries of which penetrate the ter- 
ritory of Limestone. Elk River flows through the northwest, and 
at certain seasons is navigable for light crafts. This stream is of 
vast local advantage since the obstructions have been removed 
from the Tennessee. Big, Poplar, Round Island, Swan, Piney, 
Limestone and Beaver Dam Creeks streak the county in every 
section with waters of perpetual flow. These are reinforced by 
many large springs in the mountain and hill region. Mineral 
springs also exist, and are said to be equal to any in the State. 
The streams abound in remarkably fine fish, vast quantities of 
which are caught every year. 

No great public industries have as yet been established, but a 
number are in contemplation, both in Athens and Rowland, on the 
Louisville & Nashville Railroad. Energy, skill, and capital are 
needed to make Limestone what it is by nature fitted to become — 
a great manufacturing as well as an agricultural region. 

As yet but little attention has been given the mineral products 
of Limestone. Valuable specimens of lead have been discovered 
in the Elk River hills. In some portions of the country there 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 23 



have been rliscovered outcroppings of iron ore, as well as fine 
specimens of coal. Slate has been found to exist in vast quan- 
tities, though it has failed thus far to attract public attention. 
Silver ore has also been discovered, but it is not known to what 
extent it exists. 

The county is highly favored in its facilities for transportation. 
It is divided in twain from north to south by the great Louisville 
and Nashville Railroad, which brings it into easy and rapid com- 
munication with New Orleans on the south and the great cities of 
the West on the north. 

Fruits grown along these valleys find a ready market in the 
cities of the Northwest, into commercial relations with which this 
section is brought by means of its excellent railroad facilities. 

Along the southern portion of the county runs the Memphis 
& Charleston Railroad, which affords a competing line to the pro- 
ducers of the county. 

The social advantages of Limestone are those which belong to 
the best regulated society of the South. The people are hospi- 
table and are prompted by a most generous disposition. Schools 
of varying grades exist in different parts of the county. In 
Athens, the county-seat, which has a population of about 1,200, 
there are several schools of high grade, including a State agri- 
cultural school. Churches, usually of the Methodist, Presbyterian 
and Baptist denominations, prevail. 

The other chief towns are Mooresville, Elkmont and Rowland. 
The last named point is a new town with promising importance. 
Lands may be purchased iu some sections for ^5 per acre; in 
others they will cost much more, being dependent upon the fertility 
and location. 

Limestone contains within its territory 5,000 acres of land be- 
longing to the general government. 

NORTH ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL. 

This college is located in the corporate limits of Athens. The 
grounds consist of the college grounds and the experiment farm ; 
the former contains about thirteen acres, six of which is sward 
covered with a beautiful grove of original growth, inclosed with 



24 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



a hedge of osage orange, in midst of whicli the college building 
stands. The remaining seven acres are devoted to pasture and 
garden for the use of boarding department. 

The experiment farm is less than a half mile distant from 
the college. It comprises one hundred and fifty acres, one hun- 
dred and twenty-five of which are cleared and in cultivation. 

The buildings are located on the college grounds, exclusive of 
stables and outhouses, are seven in number; of these the prin- 
cipal building is a two-story brick, forty-five by eighty-six feet, 
divided into assembly and recitation rooms, and devoted exclu- 
sively to the purpose of instruction. The main building of the 
boarding department is a large two-story residence, occupied by 
the president and his family, members of the faculty, and board- 
ing students. The remaining five buildings include the presi- 
dent's oflSce and dormitories for boarders. 

On the experiment farm are additional buildings, consisting of 
a four-room dwelling, with outhouses and a commodious, well- 
constructed barn and stable forty feet square. The value of the 
property belonging to the college and station is $15,000. 

The school was opened four years ago, and was under the 
control of two presidents prior to the present session. Prof. M. 
K. Clements was elected president of the school in April, 1893, 
and assumed control and took charge of the property in July. 
The 1st of September the present sessiDn was opened with a hun- 
dred and ten pupils. The school has grown constantly since the 
opening of the present session and there are now one hundred 
and fifty in attendance, representing eight counties in the State. 
The course of study embraces English, Mathematics, the Sciences, 
Latin, Greek, and German ; they, also, have a department of 
Stenography, Typewriting, and Book-keeping; also, a department 
of Art. The faculty is comprised of college men and women 
who have made teaching a profession, and at present consists of 
four gentlemen and two ladies. The college building has recently 
been furnished with the latest improved desks. 

The Board of Control before the beginning of the present ses- 
sion opened the school to girls and up to date about fifty have en- 
tered. The outlook for the school is most encouraging, although 
the small appropriation has prevented the Board of Control from 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 25 



supplying the school with many of the appliances necessary to 
the very best work. Owing to the change in the management of 
the school and other unavoidable causes, sufficient data are not at 
hand to enable me to intelligently report on the experiments 
heretofore conducted on the farm; the management have, how- 
ever, planned a systematic course of experiments to be made 
during this and the following season upon thirty acres of the 
farm, the remainder part of which will be cultivated and the pro- 
ceeds applied to putting the thirty acres in good condition for 
experimental work. There is a nice orchard, consisting of forty 
varieties of apples, forty of pears, twenty of plums, three of 
quinces, and forty of peaches. They are in their fourth year 
and many of them are bearing. The vineyard consists of three 
hundred vines, many of which have died, those that are living 
are in a tolerably good condition. Especial pains will be taken 
of the orchard and vineyard. 

There is connected with the school a military organization, and 
it is used to the extent of securing promptness in obedience to 
all the disciplinary regulations, and in giving regular exercises to 
the members of the cadet companies. Rev. M. K. Clements is 
the efficient president. 



MADISON COUNTY. 



JHE county of Madison was the second created in the State^ 
having been formed as early as 1808. It was named in 
honor of President Madison. 
The county has long sustained the reputation of being one of 
the most inviting regions of the State. In salubrious climate, 
fertile soil, agricultural resources, picturesque scenery, and refined 
society invest it with such charms as make it one of the most de- 
sirable sections for residence in the State. Its area embraces 
872 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 37,625; population in 1890, 38,119. White, 
19,395; colored, 18,774. 



26 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Area planted in cotton, 75,205 acres; in corn, 69,238; in oats, 
7,822 acres; in wheat, 1,721 acres; in tobacco, 9; rye, 97. 

Coif on production — 13,150 bales. 

Madison is the banner county of the Cereal Belt. In wealth 
and in the production of cotton it leads all the others. In shape, 
it is almost square. The soils of the county vary in different por- 
tions. In the northern and northwestern parts the lands are 
broken, and are composed of white and yellow clay soils. But 
the partial barrenness of the soil is amply atoned for by the 
exuberant resources of water and pure air. These sections are 
regarded as being exceedingly healthful. Higher up, and around 
the headwaters of Flint River, there are found some fine tracts 
of red clay soil and an abundance of excellent timber. The 
eastern part of the county is mountaiuous, affording superior 
farming lands in the intervening valleys. Between the main 
branches of Flint River, extending northward nearly to the south- 
ern limit of Tennessee, are some of the most desirable farming 
lands in the county. That portion of the laud which lies along 
the Tennessee River, in the southern part of Madison county, is 
remarkably fertile and is thickly populated. In the mountainous 
portion of the county, eastward, are found farms which are de- 
voted to raising clover, small grain, and stock. 

Madison county occupies medium ground between the tropical 
and temperate producing regions, with many characteristics pe- 
culiar to each. While its soil yields cotton quite readily, it is 
not equal to that grown in the Cotton Belt. The average annual 
yield of cotton in the county is about 20,000 bales. But there 
is a growing disposition on the part of the farmers to forsake 
cotton and to adopt stock-raising and the production of cereals 
and grasses exclusively. This can be effected, however, only with 
a change of the system of labor. 

But, notwithstanding the great yield of cotton, Madison is one 
of the largest corn-producing counties in the State. The wheat 
crop is annually increasing, and twenty-five or thirty bushels per 
acre is not considered an unusual crop, on good land. The 
soils of the county are specially adapted to the growth of clover, 
tobacco, rice, peas, and potatoes. Dairy and orchard products 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 27 



are receiving considerable attention, and their production shows 
a large annual increase. 

With a population of nearly 40,000, the cotton crop of Madison 
is estimated at $1,000,000; the corn crop about the same; peas 
and beans, $50,000; potatoes, $100,000, and horses, cattle and 
sheep nearly $1,000,000. 

Adjacent to the mountains, the soils are admirably adapted to 
the cultivation of vineyard and orchard products. Great and 
rapid strides have already been made in the direction of horti- 
culture. 

Coal has been discovered in the northern portion of Madison, 
and arrangements are being made to mine it. Iron is believed 
also to exist. 

The county is abundantly supplied with water. The Tennessee 
River forms its southern boundary, while Flint River and its 
tributaries water the greater portion of the northern and eastern 
portions of the county. The Flint is a stream of remarkable 
clearness and swiftness, and affords excellent facilities for 
manufacturing purposes. Besides these streams, there are 
Limestone and Hester's Creeks, and Indian and Spring Mountain 
Forks. Paint Rock River forms the county boundary on the 
southeast. 

The immense water power of the county, its abounding timber, 
and its splendid climate are attracting repeated accessions of pop- 
ulation, and the increase would be greater if its attractions were 
more generally known. 

Madison county combines, perhaps, as many advantages as any 
other in Alabama. No causes for local disease exist, and her ele- 
ments of wealth are in close proximity. About one-half of its 
surface is covered with forests, some of which overspread the 
mountain slopes, but can be easily hewn and transported. 

The timber is chiefly post, black, white, Spanish and blackj ack 
oaks, beech, poplar and sugar maple. Like many other sections 
of the State, wanton depredations have been made upon these 
noble forests, and some of the staple timbers have been almost 
entirely destroyed. This is especially true of the poplar, the 
finest specimens of which crown the densely wooded slopes of 
Madison; yet, a sufficiency remains for farming and building pur- 



28 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



poses. The timbers of the county are so distributed as to be 
accessible to almost every farm. 

The Memphis & Charleston Kailroad extends through the entire 
■width of the county, east and west. This places it into easy 
communication with the Louisville & Nashville line, or, at Chat- 
tanooga, with the several roads converging there. The Nashville, 
Chattanooga & St. Louis, and Talladega & Coosa Valley Railroads 
also penetrate the county. The Louisville & Nashville system 
have a projected line. 

As the Muscle Shoals have been opened the Tennessee affords 
one of the grandest water-ways on the continent. 

Manufactories have recently received much attention in the 
county. It has three flourishing cotton factories — located in the 
city of Huntsville, and Eagle Pencil and many other factories at 
Gurley. 

Perhaps in no county in the State is more attention devoted to 
the matter of education than in Madison. Schools of excellent 
grade are to be found throughout the county. In the city of 
Huntsville is a female college and a male school of repute. 

HUNTSVILLE. 

Huntsville, the county-seat, with a population of 12,000, is, in 
every respect, one of the most inviting cities in the South. It 
has long been noted for the elevated tone of its society and for its 
spirit of progressiveness. Its picturesque location, architectural 
beauty, shady walks and macadamized streets; its public buildings, 
handsome church edifices, superior hotels and mammoth spring, 
make it exceedingly attractive as a place of residence. Three 
miles from the city is the ]\[atthew's Jersey Farm which is the 
most celebrated in the world. 

Monte Sauo, a charming resort on the mountain summits near 
the city, is one of the most delightful places in the land. It has 
a princely hotel, a dummy line and has become quite a summer 
resort. Its salubrious climate, pure mountain water, refreshing 
breezes and superb scenery, make it among the most desirable 
resorts in the Union. 

Huntsville was the temporary State capital in 1819. It was in 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 29 



this city that the convention, in 1819, which formed the first 
State constitution, met, and here, in the same year, assembled the 
first legislature of the newly created State of Alabama. 

New Market, Maysville, Gurley and Madison, are thriving 
towns. 

Men of energy, thrift, and enterprise, whether with or without 
capital, would be cordially welcomed to this county. Facilities 
for accumulation abound here for the manufacturer, the agricul- 
turist, or the horticulturist. Large numbers of Germans and 
other farmers have settled in the northern part of the county. 

Lands can now be had for from $5 to $15 per acre, with an 
upward tendency in valuation. 

The number of acres of Government land in the county is esti- 
mated at 5,000. 



I 



JACKSON COUNTY. 

JHIS county takes its name from the hero of New Orleans. 
It was constituted in 1818, the same year of the admission 
^ of Alabama into the Union. Its resources in soils, minerals 
and timbers, are both varied and abundant. While even prior to 
the war some activity was displayed in developing its coal deposits, 
the wonderful abundance of these was not fully recognized until 
within the last few years. Its area is 990 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 25,114; population in 1890,28,026. White, 
24,179; colored, 2,847. 

Area planted in cotton, 18,839 acres; in corn, 66,011 acres; in 
oats, 8,652 acres; in wheat, 942 acres; in rye, 41 acres; in tobacco, 
8 acres. 

Coif 071 production — 5,358 bales. 

The surface of Jackson is not so level as that of the adjacent 
counties, but its valleys are wonderfully fertile, and its hills 
and mountains are full of the richest ores. It is doubtful whether 
the county can be surpassed by any other in the State in the di- 
versity of its elements. 

The Tennessee Kiver runs in a southwesterly direction through 



30 ALAEAMA AS IT IS. 



Jackson, and divides it into two distinct sections — Raccoon 
Mountain on the southeast, and the spurs of the Cumberland 
Mountains on the northwest. The width of the valley, which 
slopes gradually to the Tennessee River, is about four miles, be- 
ing wider on the northern than on the southern side of the stream. 
The soil in the valley is quite fertile. Ascending to the summit 
of the ridges from the river, one stands upon extensive table 
lands, the uniformity of whose surface is relieved by occasional 
dips of the soil which mark the presence of mountain streams. 
When these streams issue from the mountains, they often present 
wild and picturesque scenes. The lands along these plateaus, 
while not so rich as those lying contiguous to the river, are yet 
productive and easy of cultivation. The soils are of a light gray 
and yellowish color. These lands have long been regarded as 
quite valuable, because of their excellent pasturage facilities. 

Northward from the Tennessee River the surface of the country 
becomes more and more broken, but more abundant in its valuable 
stones, and in its bold, refreshing springs which burst innumer- 
ably from the craggy hills. 

This suggests the vast abundance of water with which the 
county is supplied. In some respects Jackson leads all the other 
counties in the Tennessee Yalley in the production of cereals, 
while it falls behind others in the production of cotton. Corn, 
oats, wheat, rye, tobacco, sweet potatoes, wool, sorghum, honey 
and butter are chief among its manifold productions. Peas, 
apples, peaches, grapes and berries grow almost to perfection. 
Along the slopes of the hills of Jackson county are found splendid 
orchards of peaches. There is a steady growth of interest in 
stock-raising. Along the high table lands of the county are nu- 
merous small farms which are surrounded with all the evidences 
of plenty and contentment. The streams are the Tennessee and 
Paint Rock Rivers, and Big and Little Raccoon, Mud, Widow, 
Big Crow, Jones, Santa, Big Lanne, and Williams' creeks, and 
Hurricane and Larkins' Forks. Besides these, numerous moun- 
tain springs abound, the water of which is pure and perpetual. 
The county is unexcelled in its water supply. The hills and 
mountain flanks are densely wooded, while some of the alluvial 
valleys are still uncleared and are covered over with valuable 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 31 



timber. Ou the uplands are found black and red oaks, pine, 
cedar, and hickory. Along the valleys are found poplar, ash, 
maple, beech, walnut, sweet gum, cherry, and giant white oak. 
Indeed, both upon the table lands and in the valleys, many of the 
forests remain in their virgin state. They extend along the 
broad and deep streams of the county, and timbers hewn from 
them may be easily rafted. The inclination of the different water 
courses is such as to favor the erection of manufactories, and for 
local demands, such do exist. 

Facilities for transportation in Jackson county are admirable. 
The Tennessee River flows the entire length of the county, and 
gives a river front of at least sixty miles. Its numerous tribu- 
taries, which reach every section of the county, are of sufficient 
size to accommodate the use of light boats, and such are employed 
for local trade during the seasons of greatest rainfall — the winter 
and spring. Running almost parallel with the deep-flowing Ten- 
nessee, though some distance from it, is the Memphis & Charleston 
Railroad, while across the upper portion of the county runs the 
Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad. Numerous towns of impor- 
tance are springing up along these lines of transportation. Along 
the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad are Long Island, Bridge- 
port, Bolivar and Stevenson. On the Memphis & Charleston 
Railroad are Fackler, Bellefonte, Scottsboro, the county seat, Lar- 
kinsville, Limrock, Woodville, and Paint Rock. 

Commensurate with the growth of population and of mineral 
wealth is the growth of the spirit of education. The county has 
several prominent institutions of learning, all of which are in a 
flourishing condition. William and Emma Austin College, at 
Stevenson, is a useful and popular institution; Scottsboro Col- 
lege, a school for males and females, is in a thrifty condition. 
In all the towns and villages are local schools. 

The mineral products of Jasper are coal and iron, while the 
supply of marble and limestone is unlimited. Coal abounds 
both in the Cumberland and Sand mountains. These ranges 
traverse the county twenty or thirty miles. From one of the nu- 
merous caves in the county is obtained saltpetre. It was used by 
the Confederate authorities during the civil war. In several parts 



32 " ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



of the county are mineral springs, containing water of superior 
quality. 

There are several industries in the county which have attained 
considerable local prominence. Among these are the Belmont 
mines, situated twelve miles west of Scottsboro. In the town of 
Scottsboro are numerous steam and saw-mills, and a hub, spoke, 
and felly factory. There are facilities of industry afforded in 
Jackson county, the variety of which, perhaps, is not surpassed 
by that of any other county in Alabama. 

With a favorable climate, diversified and yielding every variety 
of farm product, exhaustless supplies of water, vast quantities of 
ore, superior facilities for transportation, and excellent social ad- 
vantages, the county is destined to be one of the most populous 
in the State. 

Lands can be obtained in the county at prices ranging from $8 
to $25, according to their fertility and location. 

There are in Jackson county 32,720 acres of government land, 
which are, in part, subject to entry. 

Settlers from the West have, in a number of instances, come 
in and occupied these lands, and have established neat and thrifty 
farms. 



MAESHALL COUNTY. 




jARSHALL county was organized in 1836 and named in 
honor of Chief Justice Marshall, of Virginia. It par- 
takes of all the general characteristics which belong to 
the counties clustering along the north and south banks of the 
Tennessee River, and forming the great Cereal Belt of Alabama. 
While it is called a cereal county, its soils and resources are so 
varied that it takes on many other features. The area of the 
county is 560 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 14,585; population in 1890, 18,935; white, 
17,652; colored, 1,283. 

Area planted in cotton, 27,470 acres; in corn, 37,424 acres; 
in oats, 6,925 acres; in wheat, 919 acres; in rye, 98 acres; in 
tobacco, 8 acres; cotton production, 8,112 bales. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 33 



Marshall county is about equally divided by a valley which cuts 
it in twain from northeast to southwest. Along the line of this 
valley flows the Tennessee River as far as Guutersville, the county 
seat, when it turns northwest. The valley lands of the county 
are, for the most part level, with occasional undulations, and con- 
stitute the most attractive farming districts of the county. They 
have been in cultivation for many years. These lands are very 
productive, and are of the same character as those of every por- 
tion of the Tennessee Valley. The ridge lands vary in the 
degree of their fertility. They are usually of a light gray color 
with a red or yellow subsoil. In the past the rich lands of the 
valleys have been devoted very generally to the production of 
cotton. The table and ridge lands vary in the degree of fertility 
from the most productive to the thinnest; but all are adapted to 
the growth of cotton, grain and fruit. Perhaps within equal 
compass a greater variety of soil can not be found elsewhere 
within the State. 

Such is the blandness of the climate along the green valleys of 
Marshall that every cereal and esculent grown in the southern 
portion of the State can be produced here. Deprived, as the 
people of this county have been, of intercourse, to a great extent, 
with the world beyond, by reason of the absence of railroad com- 
munication, they have enjoyed ample opportunity of putting to 
test the charm of their climate and the productiveness of their 
soils. The hardiest field grain, as well as the tenderest fruit of 
the temperate zone, are successfully grown here. In Marshall 
county the conditions are equally favorable to agricultui-e, horti- 
culture, stock raising and manufacturing. 

Such is the value and variety of the soils of the county tliat 
agriculture in all its branches can be made most profitable. Its 
climate and diversity of soil are favorable to horticulture, and 
the generous, responsive soil yields as fine clovers, tiino'liy and 
grasses as can be grown in the South. But farming, stock raising 
and manufacturing will be the chief industrial pursuits of the 
people. 

The great forests of valuable woods in Marshall county have 
been scarcely touched. Along the ridges and slopes there grow 
3 



34 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



in stately grandeur magnificent specimens of oak, hickory, beech, 
walnut and cherry. At a later day, when the hand of Art shall 
have laid the railway lines, these timbers will prove of great 
value. 

The county throughout is abundantly supplied with water. 
The Tennessee Kiver flows through the county and makes its 
great bend in the heart of it, as it suddenly curves from a 
southerly to a northwesterly course. 

The northern boundary of the coanty is skirted by Paint Rock 
River, which separates Marshall from Madison county. In the 
northeastern section the county is drained by Town Creek, while 
on the south the Locust Fork and its numerous branches furnish 
abundant supplies of water to that region. In every part of the 
county there are bold mountain springs of the purest and coolest 
water. 

Like the other resources of the county its mineral wealth is, as 
yet, undeveloped. The fact simply exists that there are deposits 
of coal, red hematite and bog ore, manganese, copper, lead and 
silver. But little effort has been made to develop these, because 
of the absence of transportation in the past. But this difficulty 
will soon be overcome. The completion of the Tennessee & Coosa 
Railroad through Marshall county, crossing the river at Man- 
chester, will soon have been effected. The Birmingham Mineral 
Railroad is also being rapidly built. The Guntersville & Scotts- 
boro Railroad is chartered, and the right-of-way secured. Nego- 
tiations are now pending for beginning work at once upon 
this line. 

With the Muscle Shoals Canal completed, Marshall will have a 
water-way second to that of no other portion of the continent, 
for, as has already been said, the peculiar curve of the great river 
makes it accessible to every part of the county. 

The commercial importance of the Tennessee River can scarcely 
be overestimated since the great natural barrier at Muscle Shoals 
is removed. When this stream has been united with the Coosa 
at Gadsden there will be communication with all the great rail- 
way lines leading toward the East and Northwest. Peculiar ad- 
vantages are thus afforded in this county to investors. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 35 



The populatiou of Marshall county is honest, intelligent, 
thrifty, and industrious. It is almost exclusively a white popula- 
tion. Good schools are found in every section of the county. 
Guntersville, the county seat, situated upon the Tennessee River, 
has a population of nearly 700, and is the seat of a Normal School 
of high grade. Its environments are favorable to a large city. 
Surrounded by a fertile agricultural region, commanding ihe 
trade of the Tennessee River in both directions, and the destined 
center of a future railway system, it will have all the facilities for 
a bustling center of commerce. 

Much of the grandeur and picturesqueness of the Tennessee 
Valley are accessible to this future city. Mountain rapids, cas- 
cades, and waterfalls contribute to the abounding variety of the 
region, and but a short distance from the town there are the 
traces of the Mound Builders, and a large cave. 

The other chief towns are Warrenton, Henryville, Claysville, 
Albertville, Oleander, and Manchester. 

Because of the inaccessibility of Marshall county the lands are, 
at present, moderately low. They can now be purchased at merely 
nominal figures; but this section is attracting the eager attention 
of speculators, and at no remote day the lands will be purchased. 
Lands for farming, stock-raising, or timbers may be bought, 
when unimproved, for from $1 to |5 per acre. Improved lands 
will cost from $3 to $50 per acre, and their valuation will depend 
upon the character of their soils, improvements, and location. 

Marshall county has 3,000 acres of public or government lands, 
some of which are subject to entry. 

Persons seeking information in regard to the county of Marshall 
will be cheerfully answered free of charge by addressing inquiries 
to The Democrat, Guntersville, Ala. Write for free sample 
copies, showing maps, views, resources, and opportunities offered. 



36 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



MOKGAN COUNTY. 

jHE county of Morgan was established in the year 1818, 
xl ^ ^^^ named for General Daniel Morgan, of Pennsylvania. 
It lies directly south of the Tennessee River, and is one 
of the most important counties in North Alabama. Its 
area is 700 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 16,928; population in 1890, 24,089; white, 
18,015; colored, 6,076. 

Area planted in cotton, 23,628 acres; in corn, 38,048 acres; in 
oats, 6,395 acres; in wheat, 968 acres; in rye, 52 acres; in 
tobacco, 7 acres; cotton. production, 6,241 bales. 

Proceeding southward from the Tennessee River, which forms 
the northern boundary of Morgan county, there are met four ter- 
race-like plains, each with characteristics peculiar to itself. The 
first of these would be the bottoms, which lie in close proximity 
to the Tennessee River. The soils here are porous and produc- 
tive, but liable to overflow. For this reason they are planted 
almost altogether in corn. Occasionally, however, where the 
soil is not so much exposed to overflow, there is cotton planted. 

Then comes the land ("f the Valley of the Tennessee proper. 
This is elevated above the bottoms about seventy-five or one 
hundred feet, and possesses the red or brown soils, which mark 
the great valley from limit to limit. Because of the generous 
soil possessed by this valley, the lands are almost wholly cleared. 
The valley in this county varies very greatly. In some parts it 
is but a mile or two wide, while in others it is fully eight. 

Ascending to the next natural formation one is from seventy- 
five to one hundred feet above the valley, and is upon the summit 
of a range known as Little Mountain. The It-aids along this 
broad, natural shelf are not so fertile as those in the valley for 
purposes of farming, but are superior in their pasturage quali- 
ties. Grasses in the greatest variety and luxuriance grow along 
this lofty platean. Here we find the stock- producing section of 
the county. Of course, from this, it will not be understood that 
the soils of this section are incapable of producing only grasses. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 37 



In this portion of Morgan are found many thrifty farms, sur- 
rounded by all the comforts of life. It is more distinctively 
adapted, however, to stock-raising than to agriculture. 

From this elevated plain, which commands the view of the 
Tennessee Valley, and going southward there is a perceptible 
descent to the foot of Sand Mountain. This is the fourth distinct 
division of the county. The width of this terrace varies from 
one to twelve miles. Along this we find a great variety of soil, 
the fertility or thinness of which is indicated by its peculiar hue. 
In some portions the lands are black, while in others they are red 
and gray. That part of the county which is now being described 
is a portion of the great Warrior Coalfield. Thus it will be seen 
that Morgan possesses, to a greater or less degree, all the advan- 
tages, agriculturally and otherwise, which are possessed by the 
surrounding counties of the great Tennessee Valley. All the 
grains are produced here that are produced elsewhere in this 
North Alabama region. And the hardy fruits, such as apples, 
peaches, pears, and the various berries are grown abundantly and 
are usually of superior quality. The water supply of the county 
is superior. The Tennessee Kiver forms the whole of the northern 
boundary of the county, while Flint Creek and its two forks, 
Cataco, No Business, Cedar, Shoal, Six Mile, Main, Scrouge and 
Gandy's Fork, penetrate every portion of it, and not only supply 
it with water, but contribute greatly to the enrichment of the 
soils. The county is also well watered with superior springs. In 
the northeastern portion are the Valhermoso and Lacey Springs, 
which enjoy a local reputation. The different streams afPord ex- 
cellent fish. 

There is an abundance of wood for all purposes in the county. 
Vast districts of the county have scarcely been touched by the 
woodman's axe. Principal among the timbers which throng the 
forests are the post-oak, blackjack, hickory, poplar, walnut, maple, 
sour-wood, cherry, cedar, and short-leaf pine. There are large 
milling interests which are engaged in the conversion of much of 
this timber into lumber for home consumption and for shijiiaent 
to distant markets. 

Facilities for transportation are found in the Tennessee Eiver, 
which forms the northern boundary line of the county, the Louis- 



38 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



ville & Nashville Eailroad, which runs entirely through, and the 
Memphis & Charleston l^ailroad, which penetrates the northern 
end of the county and crosses the Louisville & Nashville system 
at Dscatur. Other railway lines are in contemplation which are 
expected to pierce other portiocs of the county and thus greatly 
enlarge facilities for the shipment of products, but sufficient outlet 
for transportation is already afforded in the lines -which now pene- 
trate the county. Unusual advantages for the shipment of pro- 
duce is afforded the inhabitants of Morgan, as the competing lines 
of railway cross at Decatur, and there also cross the Tennessee 
River, the navigation of which Avill soon be open in both direc- 
tions. 

The county is being rapidly peopled and correspondingly devel- 
oped. Minerals exist in different parts of the county. These are 
chiefly coal and limestone, though there is the evident presence of 
gold, and the indications are that it is in large quantities. Asphalt 
also exists, being the first trace of it discovered in America. No 
direct effort has been made to develop these mineral resources, the 
investigations hitherto being directed only to ascertain the extent 
of their prevalence. The moral tone of the population of tlie 
county is healthy, and excellent school and church facilities 
abound in town and county alike. 

Of the towns, Somerville is an interior village with a popula- 
tion of several hundred, and has a flourishing school. 

Decatur. 

For many years Decatur was content to be a quiet town of 
1,200 inhabitants, lying favorably at the junction of the Louisville 
& Nashville and Memphis & Charleston Railroads. These two 
great thoroughfares meet upon the banks of the Tennessee River, 
and at this point is located the city of Decatur. Catching the 
spirit that was astir throughout the entire North Alabama region, 
Decatur began to take a new and vigorous growth, and within the 
last two years its population has increased to more than 6,000. 

The chief feature of the city is that portion which is designated 
as New Decatur. Its new and spacious streets and avenues, lined 
with residences and business houses, some of which rival in 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 39 



attractiveness those of the largest cities, its mammoth and splendid 
hotel — The Tavern — and its numerous industries, serve to show 
the life and spirit of this city of the Tennessee. Chief among 
the industries are these: 

1. The United States Rolling Stock Company has removed 
their immense plant from Urbana, Ohio, to this place. Cost, 
$1,000,000. 

2. The Louisville & Nashville Eailway Car Works. Cost of 
buildings, ^300,000. Employs 750 men. 

3. Charcoal Company's plant, costing $120,000. 

4. A 70-ton Charcoal Iron Furnace, costing $100,000. 

5. The Decatur Iron Bridge & Construction Company. Cost, 
$100,000. 

6. The Car Wheel & Manufacturing Company, capacity 140 
wheels per day. Cost of plant, $60,000. 

7. Southern Horseshoe Nail Factory, 60 mechanics. Capital, 
$100,000. 

8. The American Oak Extract Company's plant, costing 
$60,000. 

9. Ivens & Son's Steam Boiler & Engine Works, costing 
$100,000. 

10. Morse's Cotton Compress plant, costing $60,000. 

11. Decatur Lumber Compa'iy, Saw & Planing Mills, costing 
$50,000. 

12. Berthard & Co.. Sash, Door & Blind Factory, costing 
$15,000. 

13. The Decatur Street Eailway. 

14. The Telephone Company. 

15. Brush Electric Light Company. 

16. Howlaad & Company's Water Workd System, costing 
$200,000. 

17. Bleymeyer Artificial Ice Company, cost $10,000. 

18. One mammoth brick yard, 

19. Arantz Brothers' Mills & Lumber Yards. 

20. Hoy's Furniture Factory. 

21. H. S. Freeman's Mills & Lumber Yards. 

22. Natural Gas Company. Capital, $200,000. 

23. First National Bank. Caoital, $100,000. 



40 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



24. The Exchange Bank of Decatur. Capital, $100,000. 

25. Decatur Building Association. Capital, $300,000. 

26. Buchheit's Bottling Works. 

27. The Decatur Plumbing & Supply Company. Capital, 
$25,000. 

Located so near the great mineral fields, and destined to enjoy 
marked advantages when the Muscle Shoals works are completed, 
Decatur will become one of the great cities of the State. Excel- 
lent school and church facilities abound in the favored city. It 
is now the seat of justice. . 

Falkville, Trinity, Hartselle, Somerville, Leesburg, Danville 
and Yalhermoso Springs are points of chief importance, and 
possess valuable educational interests. 

Lands in this county may be purchased at prices ranging from 
$5 to $40 per acre. 

Considering the competing lines which cross each other in the 
county, its superior soil, its climate and medicinal waters, together 
with its numerous social advantages, Morgan county is the peer 
of any other in the great Cereal Belt. The people regard with 
favor and encouragement the settlement of men of studious, in- 
dustrious and frugal habits, in their midst. 

The county has no unappropriated Government lands. 



LAWEENCE COUNTY. 



^^ HAN this a more attractive county is not found within the 
^1^ State. It was organized in 1818 and was named in honor 
^^^^ of the great naval officer, James Lawrence, of Vermont. 

In point of fertility, in agricultural productions, in topography, 
climate, and numerous social advantages, it stands in the front 
rank of the counties of Alabama. 

Lawrence county has an area of 790 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 21,392; population in 1890, 20,725. White, 
12,553; colored, 8,172. 

Area planted in cotton, 4,000 acres; in corn, 44,631; in oats. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 41 



2,970 acres; in wheat, 1,022 acres; in rje, 24 acres; tobacco, 13 
acres. 

Coiion produciion — 9,248 bales. 

The county is penetrated from east to west by two extensive 
valleys known as Courtland and Moulton Valleys. The former 
of these being in the northern and the latter in the southern 
portion of the county, while the center is occupied by a detached 
mountain known as Little Mountain. 

The Courtland Valley is a beautiful level domain with sandy 
loam soil, which is not very deep, but resting upon a good foun- 
dation. When first cleared, the lands along the valley are exceed- 
ingly productive. The soil is of a mulatto cast tinged to a great 
depth by the iron which enters freely into its composition. A 
prevailing characteristic of this soil is that it dries rapidly after 
a rainfall. It is easy of cultivation. 

When fresh, the lands of the Courtland Valley were quite pro- 
ductive, and the early settlers of the county accumulated property 
very rapidly, but they were not judicious in the use of fertilizers 
to check any symptoms of decay, nor were they discreet in every 
instance in planting ameliorating crops. 

By the use of manures to-day, these lands, which are still pro- 
ductive, can be rendered wonderfully so, as they can be improved 
by a proper system of rotation. This is the result of the experi- 
ments made by the farmers of Courtland Valley since the close 
of the war. Clover, corn, small grain and cotton grow with great 
readiness, and are gratifyingly productive in this valley. 

Moulton Valley, in its essential features, is like Courtland Val- 
ley, only it has more of the branch soil, which is black. In this 
valley head Town Creek, which runs north through the Little 
Mountain and empties into the Tennessee River; Big Nance 
Cieek, which runs in the same direction, and Flint Biver, which 
tr iverses a portion of Morgan county and finds an outlet in the 
iL'unessee River. 

These creek lands are regarded among the most productive in 
the county when properly drained. The farms are smaller here 
than in Courtland Valley, cultivated with more care, and are con- 
sequently more remunerative. 

The Little Mountain region, which occupies the central portion 



42 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



of the county, has a light saudy soil, which ia point of fertility 
falls far behind those of the two valleys. But no portion of the 
county is more inviting than this as a place of residence. Ele- 
vated three or four hundred feet above the valleys, supplied with 
a profusion of freestone and chalybeate springs, with a soft, 
healthful atmosphere, with extensive reaches of grazing lands for 
herds, this section is most inviting to many who come to Lawrence 
county in search of homes. A small colony of Quakers has re- 
cently located in this region, midway between the towns of Court- 
land and Moulton. 

The county is traversed by numerous streams, large and small, 
which afford abundant supplies of water to every portion. The 
northern boundary of the county is formed by the Tennessee 
Eiver, and more than half this boundary is occupied by the Great 
Muscle Shoals, which are not navigable. The upper boundary, 
however, is on the open portion of the Tennessee River, which 
will soon be opened to the largest packets. In other portions of 
the county are Town and Nance Creeks, a fork of Flint River, and 
Sipsey Fork. Springs of great coolness and of unceasing flow 
issue from the hilly portions of the county. 

Timber is not in sufficient quantities for commercial purposes. 
In the past, the Little Mountain region furnished great quantities 
to the two valleys between which it is situated; but the forests 
have been sufficiently depleted to create care and protection 
against future depredations. For home consumption there is 
still a sufficiency of pine, white oak and poplar. The islands in 
the Tennessee are densely wooded with poplar, white oak, ash, red 
gum, and black oak. 

The mineral resources of the county, as far as • discovered, are 
limited. A few thin seams of coal are found on the high escarp- 
ments of the mountains, but it is not in sufficient quantities for 
practical purposes. Almost every kind of fruit seems to do well 
in Lawrence county. The productions have been the most satis- 
factory. Grape culture has received more attention than any 
other. 

Colonel James E. Saunders, living near Courtland, has a famous 
vineyard, in which is successfully grown every species of grape 
known to the fruit-growers of the continent. He manufactures a 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 43 



large quantity of wine every year, and ships vast cargoes of grapes 
to the markets of the North and Northwest. 

The facilities for transportation will be restricted to the Mem- 
phis & Charleston Railroad, which runs through the Courtland 
Valley east and west, until the Tennessee River shall have been 
opened by the completion of the Muscle Shoals Canal. 

The chief towns of the county are Moulton, the county-seat, 
which has a population of about 800, Courtland and Leighton. 

Good common schools exist in every section of the county, and 
a female academy of high grade in the town of Moulton. 

In almost every region of the county are the evidence of thrift 
and progress. Along the high, healthful ridges are found many 
handsome homes, adorned with flower gardens and surrounded 
with spacious orchards. 

In some regions of the county, where coves are formed, there 
are oftentimes found scenes of great wildness and beauty. 

The prices of land vary in the county, and are controlled by the 
fertility of the soil and the location of the land. Lands vary in 
prices from $5 to $50. 

Thrifty, wideawake, progressive immigrants would be greeted 
by the good people of Lawrence county. Farmers, fruit-growers 
and stock-raisers could not find a more inviting section. The 
county has no Government lands not taken up. 



COLBERT COUNTY. 



pHE county of Colbert was not created until 1867. It was 
created for a famous Chickasaw chief. Though one of the 
youngest counties of the State, it has already made long 
strides to the front as one of the most progressive. " Beautiful 
for situation,'" advantageously located, and abounding in the most 
generous soils, exuberant water courses, and a progressive popu- 
lation, Colbert has the elements to make it one of the most charm- 
ing sections of the entire State. 

The area of the county is 570 square miles. 



44 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Population in 1880, 16,153; population in 1890, 20,187. 
White, 12,261; colored, 7,828. 

Area planted in cotton, 23,059; in corn, 27,305; in oats, 1,997; 
in wheat, 72; in rye, 15; in tobacco, 7; cotton production, 3,956. 

The area of land in cultivation is rapidly enlarging and the 
production being, in consequence, very materially increased. 

The county is divided from east to west by a broad range of 
hills, which are locally called the Little Mountain. Between this 
elevated ridge and the Tennessee Eiver, which forms its boundary 
on the north, is that portion of the Tennessee Valley which lies 
within the county. South of these hills lies Russell Valley. The 
dividing hills are about three hundred or three hundred and fifty 
feet above the valleys between which they stand. The lands 
along the summit of these hills are the least fertile of those of 
the county, and are well adapted and frequently devoted to the 
raising of fruit which is grown in great profusion and to wonder- 
ful perfection. 

The altitude of the hills, together with their abounding springs 
of water, make them especially desirable as places of summer 
residence. 

In Russell Valley the lands are of excellent quality, and are 
much sought by farmers because of their productiveness. The 
same is true of the Tennessee Valley. The latter valley is more 
level than the former, and the lands are not so much exposed to 
washing. In both valleys there is a prevalence of reddish loam 
with a subsoil of yellow or red clay. In some sections the lands 
assume a deep blackness like that of the richest prairie lands. 
Upon these lands are produced the finest corn, cotton, wheat and 
oats. The growth of grass is spontaneous, and its exuberance 
makes Colbert a magnificent stock region. The efforts at stock- 
raising in the county have been most gratifying, and prove the 
conditions most favorable for the raising of the finest horses, 
mules, cattle and sheep. 

There is a large amount of open range in the hills, which, 
from the character of the land, must for many years remain open 
and afford magnificent free pasturage, throughout ten months of 
the year, for the flocks and herds of the thrifty valley farmers. 

The chief productions of Colbert are cotton, corn, wheat, oats. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 45 



clover, grasses and potatoes, all of which are quite thrifty, and 
show the generous nature of the soil in which they are grown. 

The timbers of the county are the different varieties of the oak, 
red, white, blackjack, post, cherry and chestnut, together with 
black walnut, the different gums and short-leaf pine. Magnificent 
specimens of oak and hickory are found along the rich valleys, 
and in great abundance. One of the most valuable features of 
Colbert is its splendid forests of timber. 

Big Bear, Cedar, Spring and Town Creeks drain the different 
portions of the county. Several of these flow into the Tennessee 
on the north, and hence their value is greatly enhanced. 

There are three railroads in the county, the Memphis & 
Charleston, which runs directly through the county from east to 
west, and a branch of which connects Florence across the Tennes- 
see River in Lauderdale county, with Sheffield and Tuscumbia; 
the Sheffield & Birmingham, which runs south to Jasper, and at 
that point connects with Birmingham, and makes it directly tribu- 
tary to Sheffield the vast deposits of ore and coal which lie in in- 
exhaustible abundance throughout the mineral fields south of the 
Tennessee River, and the Sheffield division of the Louisville & 
Nashville road, which enters the county by a bridge across the 
Tennessee River, at Florence. Besides these roads, built and in 
active operation, the preliminary work on several other roads has 
been completed and the work of construction on the same will 
soon be commenced. 

The Tennessee River, navigable throughout the greater part of 
the year for the largest Mississippi and Ohio River steamers, 
from its mouth to the Sheffield landing, forms the entire northern 
boundary of the county and is a most important transportation 
route between Colbert county and the immense extent of country 
reached by the great water-ways of the Ohio and the Mississippi 
from their limit of navigation to the Gulf of Mexico. 

In transportation facilities no county in the State of Alabama 
is more richly favored than Colbert. 

Tuscumbia was founded in 1818. It is a beautiful little city 
of some two thousand inhabitants, and is the county seat. The 
Deshler Institute, a school of considerable renown, is located 
here. The town is noted for its "Big Spring" from which issues 



40 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



an immense volume of freestone water. Cherokee, Chickasaw and 
Leighton are pleasant little villages and good trading points. 

Sheffield, the most important city in the county, and destined 
to take rank with the first in this entire section in commercial and 
manufacturing consequence, was founded in 1884, and has already 
attained a considerable prominence. The city is beautifully lo- 
cated upon a broad plateau stretching back from the crown of the 
blufifs which here overlook the Tennessee River. It occupies a 
superb site, and seems to have been especially designed by Provi- 
dence as the location of a great business center. From it radiate 
three great railroad lines, and to it several more are being built 
as fast as a liberal expenditure of money and muscle will do it. 
By the Tennessee Biver it has a line of water-way transportation 
that is unsurpassed, and situated as it is, near the head of navi- 
gation on this important stream, it must in the future become a 
great distributing point for a large section of country. In this 
flourishing four-year-old city are the homes of quite four thous- 
and people. Magnificent brick business blocks have been erected, 
and colossal manufacturing enterprises, unequalled in any city of 
its size in the United States, have been carried to completion. Its 
five immense blast furnaces produce 700 tons of pig iron daily, 
and create in themselves a volume of business that would do credit 
to cities many times larger than Sheffield. The quality of iron 
produced is unsurpassed by any similar plant in the United 
States. The city is lighted by electricity, supplied with water by 
a complete water works system, has a street car line, and a tele- 
phone exchange is soon to be inaugurated. The First National 
Bank of Sheffield and the Bank of Sheffield are both sound finan- 
cial institutions located in Sheffield, and are the only banks in the 
county. They have a capital stock of $100,000 each, and do a 
large business. 

The common school system of the county is good, and Sheffield 
and Tuscumbia are provided with educational advantages that are 
exceptional. 

Almost all of the religious denominations have active organiza- 
tions in the county, and church privileges are abundant. 

Brown hematite iron ore, inexhaustible in quantity and analyz- 
ing 54 per cent, of metal, is found in the southern part of the 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 47 



county, and several quarries of magnificent sand aud limestone 
liave been opened. 

The Mountain Mills (cotton) are found at Barton Station, on 
the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. These mills have been in 
successful operation since 1873. 

Lands may be purchased in the county at prices ranging from 
$0 to $50 per acre. The resources, agricultural and mineral, the 
facilities for manufacturing, farming and stock-raising, and the 
abundant means of transportation, gives Colbert a conspicuous 
place in the midst of the other counties in this section of Ala- 
bama. There are in the county nearly 2,960 acres of land be- 
longing to the government. 



THE MINERAL BELT. 



^^F THE four great belts into which the State is divided, the 



^Mineral is, by odds, the largest. It embraces twenty-eight 
^^^counties, which cover more than one-third of the State. This 
vast area embraces almost all the chief minerals known to art, and in 
many instances in fabulous abundance. It is idle to undertake to 
calculate the extent of the prevalence of some of the mineral 
deposits of Alabama. This admits of special application to stone, 
coal and iron. All indications and investigations point to the 
exhaustlessness of these minerals which lie stored away beneath 
the thrones of the everlasting hills. Stupendous enterprises 
under the auspices of mammoth corporations have, of late years, 
sprung up for the development of these minerals, but each step 
of progress only discloses how inexhaustible they are. There are 
embraced in the Mineral Belt, three great coalfields — the Warrior, 
the Cahaba, and the Coosa. 

The Warrior Coalfield 

has an area of about 7,810 square miles. It is much larger than 
the other two combined. By some it is estimated as being 
ten times the size of the other two taken together. Professor 
McCalley, supposing that the available coal of this field would 



48 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



cover an area o£ only 500 square miles, with seventy-five feet 
thickness, giving a block of coal seventy- five miles long by fifty 
miles wide, and ten feet thick; and the result would be 37,500,- 
000,000 tons — enough to last for nearly 10,275 years at the rate 
of 10,000 tons per day. But this, so far from being an extrava- 
gant estimate, is regarded by scientists as falling vastly below the 
capacity of this wonderful domain of minerals. 

The coals from the Warrior field are well adapted to the pro- 
duction of gas and steam, as well as fitted for the domestic hearth 
and the shop of the blacksmith. Excellent coking coals are 
derived from some sections of this field. The vastness of this 
body of coal suggests that it will one day constitute one of the 
greatest industrial centers of the Union. 

The Cahaba Coalfield. 

For many years, beginning before the commencement of the 
war, the coal derived from this field has been famous as a domes- 
tic fuel. It was dug more than a quarter century ago and 
hauled in wagons to the Alabama River and rafted to Mobile and 
Montgomery. This coalfield lies south of the Warrior Coalfield, 
and occupies a more southern latitude than any other found in the 
United States. It covers an area of over 400 square miles, and 
its measures are estimated as being 5,000 feet thick. Estimating 
the output at 10,000 tons per day, Professor McCalley decides 
that the deposits of the Cahaba coalfield would not be exhausted 
short of 1,100 years. This coal is remarkable for its firmness 
and its capacity to resist atmospheric changes. 

Coosa Coalfield. 

This is the smallest of the coal districts of Alabama, and one 
about which less is known than any other. Means of exploration 
have been scant, by reason of the remoteness of this field, until 
the construction of the Georgia Pacific Railroad. It has been 
estimated, however, that it will cover an area of 400 square miles, 
giving the largest margin for deduction. Professor McCalley 
reaches the conclusion that with an output of 10,000 tons per day 
the coal of this region would last 165 years. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 49 



Aggregating these enormous sums concerning the available 
coal in Alabama, it is seen that there is at least 42,100,000,000 
tons, which will supply a demand of 10,000 tons daily for 11,500 
years. 

These great districts of mineral wealth are penetrated here and 
there by valleys which afford a vast abundance of limestone. 
And then, as if to supply the last deficiency, a providential Maker 
has favored these broad regions of mineral with deep and perpet- 
ual river-ways, on the bosoms of which these products of wealth 
may be borne to the seas and to the distant quarters of the 
globe. 

Iron. 

Iron is the symbol of civilization. Its value can be measured 
only by the progress of the present age. It is the most potent 
of all the metals. Indeed, it is worth more to the world than all 
other metals combined. Silver and gold are not indispensable. 
Substitutes could be readily found for them were they exhausted, 
but iron represents only the honest industry of labor. Its uses 
are universal, and it is fitted alike to hold the stoutest ship at 
anchor against the ocean storm and to manufacture screws in 
delicate machinery so minute that they can be seen only through 
the microscope. 

The beds of this ore are so numerous throughout this famous 
mineral region that it is impossible to point out the localities 
where it prevails. Lying in close proximity to coal, its manu- 
facture is far easier than in the older mineral regions of America, 
where expensive means have to be employed to bring them 
together. 

Thus far the most valuable outcroppings of red ore are found in 
the counties of St. Clair, Jefferson and Shelby. 

The brown iron ore is extensively diffused in the region lying 
south of the Tennessee River. It is already mined in the counties 
of Cherokee, Etowah, Calhoun, Talladega and Bibb. 

The barest mention has been made of these dominating miner- 
als in this great belt. Besides these, there prevails gold, silver, 
copper, tin, lead, graphite, abestbs, emery, gypsum, mica, ochre, 
4 



50 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



asphalt, marble, kaolin, and fire clays. The localities of these 
minerals will be indicated when our attention shall have been 
turned to the consideration of the counties. 

Besides these marvelous deposits of treasure, the Mineral Belt 
has superb forests of timber, which cover many thousands of 
square miles. 

In addition still, it embraces as splendid farms as can be found 
in any portion of the South. Thus has an Infinite Creator placed 
together in lavish profusion all the elements of wealth and com- 
fort known to our advanced civilization — all the precious and 
practical ores and minerals, the most splendid timbers, springs, 
fountains, and rivers of the purest water, soils of fertility, and an 
atmosphere the brace and healthfulness of which are unexcelled. 



FRANKLIN COUNTY. 



^i^HIS county took its name from the great American philoso- 
|Ci^ pher, Benjamin Franklin. It was organized in the year 
"^plS* 1818. It is one of the border counties of the State, lying 
adjacent to Mississippi; notwithstanding it is placed prominent 
among the mineral counties, its agricultural resources are also of 
superior order. 

The area of the county is 610 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 9,155 ; population in 1890, 10,681. White, 
9,520; colored, 1,161. 

Area planted in cotton, 12,117 acres; in corn, 20,130 acres; in 
oats, 2,152 acres; in wheat, 193 acres; in rye, 4 acres ; in tobacco, 3 
acres. 

CoUon production — 2,669 bales. 

The northern half of the county is a valley known as Russell's 
Yalley ; the southern portion is a high tableland, which is the 
northern part of the Warrior coalfield. 

The soils, especially in the northern part, are of such character 
as to be favorable to the production of cotton and the cereals 
Indeed, in some sections of Franklin the lands fall not a whit 
behind the fertile lands of the famous Tennessee Yalley. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 51 



The lands which lie along its attractive valleys, and those of 
the western part of the county, which are of a loamy character, 
are favorable to the production of cotton. As is seen from the 
aggregate statement of productions, furnished above, the varied 
soils of Franklin are productive of almost every cereal. Grasses 
and clovers grow with great readiness, and hence stock-raising is 
easy. In S'^me portions of the county are valuable timbers, which 
will be of immense value when the transportation facilities of the 
county are improved. Among these may be mentioned the dif- 
ferent varieties of oak, viz: red, white, post and black-jack, together 
with an excellent growth of cedar, dogwood, chestnut, walnut, 
wild cherry and black locust, hackberry and hickory. 

The streams are Cedar, Big and Little Bears Creeks, all of 
which flow toward the northwest and empty into the Tennessee 
River. Other smaller streams, which are tributary to these al- 
ready mentioned, afford an abundant water supply to every portion 
of the county, enhancing its value, both with respect to its manu- 
facturing and stock-raising facilities. The centers of interest are, 
Bellgreen, the county-seat, Frankfort, Russellville and Center 
Line, all of which have good local schools. The county is now 
penetrated by one of the most important railway lines in the State, 
viz: The Sheffield & Birmingham Railroad. This gives the 
county transportation advantages to Birmingham in one direction 
and to the Tennessee River in the other. 

The Savannah & Memphis Railroad is projected through Frank- 
lin county. Should it come to pass that this important line will 
be completed, it will necessarily cross the East Tennessee, Vir- 
ginia & Georgia Railway system at Talladega, and the Anniston 
& Atlantic at the same point. 

It would also intersect the great thoroughfares, the Georgia 
Pacific and the Louisville & Nashville. But that which will be 
the chief glory of the county will be the development of its ore 
wealth. Its beds of iron ore are known to be immense, but they 
are, as yet almost untouched by the hand of art. It was in this 
county that the first effort was ever made in Alabama to manu- 
facture iron. This was undertaken as far back as 1818, but after 
an experiment of nine years the enterprise was abandoned. The 
mines of this primitive establishment are still to be seen in Frank- 



52 ALABAMA AS IT IS, 



lin county. Remote from transportation, it is amazing that it 
should have so long existed. But the transportation is now sup- 
plied, and a new impulse will be given the iron interest of this 
section of the State. The extent of the coal deposits of Franklin 
are unknown. The evidence exist of its prevalence, however, and 
like its twin associate, iron, it will have to wait future progress 
for its development. 

The long continued absence of transportation has depressed the 
market valuation of the lands of Franklin county, but they will 
now come rapidly into notice, and their valuation will be greatly 
advanced. A healthy climate, excellent farming lands, superior 
water, and deposits of iron and coal, offer inducements to persons 
seeking a prosperous section. 

Besides, its numerous districts of land which may be purchased 
at moderate prices, there are in the county 32,040 acres of Gov- 
ernment lands, some of which are subject to entry. 



MARION COUNTY. 



^H^YING directly south of Franklin is Marion county. It was 
|IBM created in 1818 and named for General Francis Marion. 
^^?f The extensive natural advantages possessed by the county 
are serving to attract capital and enterprise, and, though not en- 
joying the transportation facilities of many other counties, it is 
rapidly coming to the front as one of the most important in the 
State. It joins Mississippi on the west, and is situated in that 
portion of the State where some of the richest mineral deposits 
exist. The county has an area of 810 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 9,364; population in 1890, 11,397; white, 
10,764; colored, 578. 

Area planted in cotton, 14,552 acres; in corn, 22,827 acres; 
in oats, 2,674 acres; in wheat, 288 acres; in tobacco, 16 acres; 
cotton production, 4,454 bales. 

The surface of the county is, for the most part, broken. The 
soils are of moderate fertility, and of such variety as to favor a 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



53 



diversity of production. In the western portion, near the Missis- 
sippi line, the most fertile lands in the county are to be found. 
These are the cotton lands. It is doubtful whether any county 
in this portion of Alabama has soils which exceed in fertility 
those which lie along the western border of the county of Marion. 
Many excellent farms are found throughout the county. They 
are mostly located upon the wide extended tablelands which form 
a prevailing feature. These lands are most desirable, both on 
account of the generous soil and the favorable position of the 
surface with respect to drainage. Along these broad tablelands 
the soil is a red loam. In other sections are found soils which 
are of a sandy loam of a brown color. The lands which lie along 
the streams are of a rich dark color. This character of soil ex- 
tends but a short distance on both sides of the creeks and 
branches, but are quite desirable because of their fertility and 




MARION MILITARY INSTITUTE. 

because too of their elevation above the point of overflow. This 
gives a sense of security to the planter, and his grain rarely fails 
to come to maturity. The readiness with which the best grasses 
are produced is attracting the attention of stock-raisers, and many 
good stock farms are found in different sections of the county. 
The value of the county as a stock-raising district is further en- 
hanced by the fact that it is favored with a great number of per- 
petual streams. Indeed, the greater part of Marion county is 
drained by a single large stream — the Buttahachie Kiver — whose 
numerous tributaries, flowing from all directions from the lofty 
tablelands and hillsides, furnish inexhaustible supplies of the 
purest water. The principal streams of the county are Butta- 
hatchie, Looxapalila and Sipsey Rivers, Beaver, Bull Mountain, 
and Bear creeks, together with many smaller streams. These 
streams flow southwest and empty into the Tombigbee. It is 



54 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



reasonable to suppose that at some future time sf;me of these 
streams will serve for purposes of local transportation. In many 
portions of Marion are to be found extensive forests of timber. 
Chief among the numerous specimens are short-leaf pine, hickory, 
post, red and white oaks, sweet and black gum, chestnut, poplar,, 
cherry, beach and bay. Through these hilly forests is to be 
found much game, especially such as deer and turkeys, and, 
indeed, all kinds of game usually found in the forests of the 
South. 

In addition to farming and stock-raising the people devote 
themselves, to a limited degree, to manufacturing. On Bear 
Creek are two flourishing cotton mills, known as Allen's Factory 
and the Fall Mills. The former has a capital of $20,000, and the 
latter $15,000. Both are run by water-power, which serves to 
illustrate the utility to which these bold mountain streams may be 
devoted in the manufactures. Beneath the ranges of hills which 
exist in every section of Marion are considerable deposits of coal, 
the extent of the prevalence of which is indicated by the outcrop- 
pings in every portion of the county. Gold has also been discov- 
ered in some sections of Marion. Two railroads have recently 
been extended through the county, viz: The Kansas City, Mem- 
phis & Birmingham, and the Sheffield & Birmingham. 

Such is the prevalence of valuable ore in the county that roads 
will doubtless be built as branches to the main thoroughfares 
running through the county. 

The brace of mountain air everywhere felt is a sure guarantee 
of health. In no part of the county are there to be encountered 
pestilential vapors or death-breeding lagoons. 

The people, especially about the centers of interest, are fully 
alive to the importance of education. Good schools are found in 
every portion of Marion. 

Unusual inducements are afforded in this county for invest- 
ments in land. No matter for what purpose desired, they can 
now be bought at a figure far below their intrinsic value. Of 
course, this will cease when the county is more extensively pene- 
trated by railroads. The stock-raiser, the farmer, or the investor 
in mineral lands, will find it advantageous to examine the induce- 
ments offered in Marion county. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



55 




56 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Hamilton, Pikeville, Shottsville, Guinn, Winfield, Darlington 
and Barnesville are the points of the greatest importance in the- 
county. The first of these is the county seat, which has recently 
been established, and is said to have one of the best court houses 
and safest jails in the State. 

Extensive tracts of land may now be purchased at figures won- 
derfully low, even as low as $2 per acre. Anxious to have the- 
material wealth of the county enhanced, the inhabitants of Marion 
look with great favor upon immigration. 

There are in Marion county 50,000 acres of land belonging ta 
the Government. 



WINSTON COUNTY. 



jHE name of this county was changed form that of Hancock 
IwM K. ^^ 1858. Under the original name it was organized in 



c^ 



m 



@ 1850. 

The county has immense resources of minerals. With- 
in the last year it has attracted considerable attention, which has 
been mainly due to the construction of the new railroads in the 
adjoining county of Walker. The Sheffield & Birmingham Rail- 
road penetrates the western portion of Winston. The area of the 
county is 540 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 4,253; population in 1890, 6,552. White, 
6,516; colored, 36. 

Area planted in cotton, 5,312 acres; in corn, 11,942 acres; in 
oats, 2,105 acres; in wheat, 255 acres; in rye, 13 acres; in 
tobacco, 25 acres. 

Cotton Production — 1,464 bales. 

The face of the country throughout Winston is generally much 
broken. Within the limits of the county, near its western bound- 
ary, runs the main ridge which divides the waters of the Warrior 
and Tombigbee Bivers. This (Byler) ridge cuts the county in 
twain from north to south. 

The farming operations of Winston are carried on mainly iia 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 57 



the lowlands and creek bottoms, because of the fertility of these 
soils above those upon the uplands or higher ridges. But little 
of the land lying along the ridge is cultivated, owing to the thin- 
ness of the soils. It is in no sense an agricultural county, al- 
though in some portions cotton and corn are quite readily pro- 
duced. The local industries are farming, stock raising and wool 
growing. Dairy farming is carried on to a limited extent. 

As will appear from the map, Winston county is abundantly 
supplied with water. These numerous streams, by their conflu- 
ence, form the chief water-ways of the county — Black Water, Big 
Bear, Clear and Rock Creeks, and Sipsey and Brushy Forks. 
The Buttahatchie and New Rivers have their fountain heads amid 
the wild hills of Winston county. Along the abounding gorges 
and valleys there rush the multitudinous tributaries which feed 
these principal streams from many quarters. Winston can not be 
excelled, perhaps, by any county in the 8tate in the wildness and 
picturesqueness of its natural scenery. The waters in some in- 
stances have worn channels in the sandstones, and often flow 
through gorges with high, perpendicular sides. In some in- 
stances rapids and cataracts are found which fill the solitudes with 
their loud-sounding thunder. Two of these waterfalls occur in 
Clear Creek about 300 yards apart. The falls are each about 30 
feet. Below the falls the waters dash down a deep, narrow gorge. 
They are objects of peculiar interest, and will one day attract 
many sight-seers. "Rock houses," as they are locally named, 
abound along these streams. In the neighborhood of these rocky 
caverns are found growing in luxuriance and beauty the rarest 
ferns known to American florists. 

The natural timber growth is composed of post, black, red, 
white and Spanish oaks, poplar, beech, holly, chestnut, sour gum, 
and occasionally short- leaf pine. In many parts of Winston the 
forests are as yet untouched, and hence abound in many fine spe- 
cimens of the timber already named. This is especially true of 
the lands >vhich lie adjacent to creeks in the bottoms. 

One of the chief attractions of the county is its abundant game. 
Turkeys and deer abound in every portion of Winston, and hunt- 
ers resort thither from the adjoining counties. Most excellent 
fish, too, are found in the numerous streams. 



58 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



The county is exceedingly rich in its mineral properties. The 
extent of these deposits is as yet unknown, but it is believed that 
no portion of Alabama, of the same compass, will excel the county 
of Winston in its mineral resources. 

Vast quantities of coal underlie the hills, and iron ore is abund- 
ant. In some sections a superior quality of slate is found, and 
in large quantities. 

There are several asphalt springs in the county. Heavy de- 
posits of copper are also found. Building stone is abundant. 
Near the town of Double Springs there are two large quarries of 
granite. Fine millstone grit is also obtainable. There are now 
and then traces of silver. 

These slumbering resources only await the construction of rail- 
way lines in order to find their way into the markets of the world. 
The construction of the Georgia Pacific Railroad through Walker 
county has given new life to Winston. This road is the main ar- 
tery of communication between the cities of Birmingham and At- 
lanta. Unusual inducements are thus presented to immigrants 
and investors. Lands may be purchased at moderate prices, be- 
ing in proportion to the demand in different sections. They can 
now be bought in some portions of the county at prices ranging 
from $3 to |5 per acre; in other sections they will cost from $10 
to $25 per acre. 

The educational advantages of Winston are moderately good 
and are improving. Church facilities abound in the populated 
sections. 

The places of greatest interest are Double Springs (the county 
seat), Houston, Littlesviile, Motes, Delma, Ark and Larissa. 
Double Springs derives its name from the remarkable springs 
which issue from the hillsides in the locality where it is situated. 

They are famous for their great number, their purity and bold- 
ness. 

In the county there are 82,740 acres of government land. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 59 




1 



WALKER COUNTY. 

^I^HE county of Walker was established in 1824. It is at- 
tracting remarkable attention at this time by reason of its 
immense resources of coal. From present indications, 
-im Walker is the richest of all tbe counties of the State in its 
mineral deposits. It seems to be almost an unbroken coal field 
from limit to limit. The coal is of a hard, bituminous character 
with but small percentage of ash. Various geological reports 
point to the existence of five or six valuable seams, which lie in 
successive layers one above another. There are various outcrop- 
pings, indicating from the surface, seams of superior coal which 
vary in thickness from two to eight feet. These coals are valu- 
able for domestic, cooking and steam purposes. Remoteness of 
transportation has forbidden the establishment of mines in the 
past, but the construction of the Georgia Pacific is awakening 
new life, and the completion of the Sheffield & Birmingham, and 
the Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham railroads, running 
from Kansas City to the Atlantic, has greatly enhanced the value 
of Walker county lands. The surface of the country is broken, 
the hills in some places being steep and high. 

Aside from its mineral possessions, the county has other ad- 
vantages, as the following data will at once show. 

Walker county embraces an area of 880 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 9,479; population in 1890, 16,078. White, 
14,422; colored, 1,65(5. 

Area planted in cotton, 9,466 acres; in corn, 25,169 acres; in 
oats, 4,524 acres; in wheat, 15 acres; in rye, 10 acres; in tobacco, 
41 acres. 

Cofton Production — 3,211 bales. 

Like the adjoining county of Winston, the soils of Walker are 
not remarkable for their fertility, it being in nowise an agricultu- 
ral county, but adapted almost solely to manufactures. Still, it 
is not without fertile lands. Snug farms are found in many por- 
tions of it, and many of its inhabitants have subsisted upon the 



60 ALABAMA AS IT IS, 



productions of their farms since, and even before, the formation 
of the county. 

About one-third of the area of Walker is covered with a sandy 
soil. This land is admirably suited to the production of fruit, 
which grows here in great abundance, especially such as the hardy 
fruits — pears, apples, peaches, plume, etc. Fruit trees have been 
standing in many orchards for a great number of years, and have 
rarely failed of an annual yield. In other sections of Walker, 
especially in those lying adjacent to the main streams, there are 
many thrifty farms, upon which grow, with great readiness, corn, 
cotton and wheat. 

This is also true of what are locally termed "the bench lands" 
• — the plateau regions of the county. Here are many first-class 
farms, which are easily tilled, and whose cultivation is most re- 
munerative. Stock-raising is receiving some attention in the 
county, and the experiments have resulted most gratifyingly. 

The county is highly flavored with streams, whose rapid and 
perpetual flow mark them for future usefulness in the manufac- 
tures. Chief among these are Mulberry Fork, which flows 
through the southeast, and joins Locust Fork in the south; the 
Black Water, Sipsey Fork and Lost creeks. These are supplied 
by numerous tributaries, which drain the county from every quar- 
ter. As fine timber forests skirt these streams as are found in 
the northern portion of the State. These embrace the different 
varieties of oak, post, red and Spanish, together with beech, pop- 
lar, holly, the gums and short-leaf pine. In the neighborhood of 
South Lowell, about six miles from Jasper, the county seat, there 
is a section of long-leaf pine forest, covering an area of about ten 
miles broad and twenty-five miles long. This superb tract of tim- 
ber is penetrated by the Black AVater River, the banks of which 
are lined by thriving manufactories, such as corn, wheat and lum- 
ber mills and cotton gins. Chief among these thriving enter- 
prises is the mill of Messrs. Shields, Craig & Carter, which com- 
bines all the facilities for the manufacture of lumber, doors, 
blinds, sash and shingles. This is the only factory in the county, 
and furnishes, to the local trade alone, half a million feet of lum- 
ber annually. 

The passage of the Georgia Pacific through the county has 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 61 



awakened much interest. The Sheffield & Birmingham Eailroad 
is also a most important thoroughfare. Through these great 
channels of trade her rich minerals of coal and iron seek outlets 
to the world beyond. These minerals are considered practically 
inexhaustible. In the interior of the basin in Walker county is 
the Jagger's coalbed, which is said to be one of exceeding thick- 
ness. 

Throughout the county the educational advantages are moder- 
ate, and church facilities abound. Both of these improve as one 
approaches the principal villages. Jasper, the county seat, with 
a population of 3,000, has good schools and two comfortable 
church edifices. Holly Grove and South Lowell are also points 
of interest and growing importance. 

Like other counties, the resources of which are being rapidly 
developed, the people of Walker are anxious to have their lands 
purchased and populated. 

Great inducements are just now being offered to purchasers of 
lands, and sagacious investors are not losing the opportunity of 
turning the occasion to one of profit. In some instances corpora- 
tions have invested in large districts of these valuable lands at 
amazingly low prices. Taken in connection with the abundance 
of fuel and good water, and the absence of any causes which 
breed disease. Walker offers a home of rare combinations. And, 
from a commercial point of view, no county offers greater indace- 
ments than does Walker. But lands which are now held at rea- 
sonable rates will increase in valuation as the growing population 
will crystalize into centers of interest and influence. 

There are embraced within the limits of Walker county 11,200 
acres of government land. 



62 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 




CULLMAN COUNTY. 

HIS is one of the counties latest formed in the State. It 
was organized in 1877. It has an interesting history 
which begins as far back as 1873, when John G. Cullman 
became the agent for the sale of a vast tract of land be- 
longing to the South & North Alabama Kailroad, now the Louis- 
ville & Nashville. Placing these lands upon the market in Janu- 
ary, 1873, Mr. Cullman, himself a German, induced a small Ger- 
man colony to locate upon them. At this time the lands were 
uncleared and seemed to ofPer but meagre inducements to settlers. 
But the tide of German population has continued to flow in until 
it is one of the most populous districts in that section of the State. 
The county has an area of about 650 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 6,355; in 1890, 13,439. White, 13,401; 
colored, 38. The population will now reach 13,500. 

Area planted in cotton, 15,992 acres; in corn, 20,808 acres; 
in oats, 4,035 acres; in wheat, 351 acres; in rye, 147 acres; in 
tobacco, 35 acres. 

Cotton Production — About 730 bales. 

In appearance the lands are among the thinnest of the State. 
But energy and enterprise have revealed the fact that they are 
quite generous in their yield when aided, to some extent, with 
fertilizers. For the most part, the white sandy surface has a 
deep, stiff subsoil of clay. The sandy surface is easy of cultiva- 
tion. The soils, when properly manipulated, never fail to re- 
spond well to fertilizers. The county is one broad mountain 
plateau and is consequently almost without exception level. Crops 
of nearly every variety are produced upon these lands, such as 
corn, cotton, wheat, rye, barley, oats, buckwheat, hemp, tobacco, 
flax, sorghum, broom corn, sweet and Irish potatoes, hops, millet, 
peanuts, clover and other grasses, and garden vegetables. Fre- 
quently three crops in rotation can be raised in a single season. 
The large German population has addressed itself mainly to the 
culture of the different varieties of grapes, and for leagues in 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 63 



some directions the lands are overspread with the most luxuriant 
vintage. 

Throughout the county there are vast stretches of forest suffi- 
cient for building and manufacturing purposes. 

Orchards of excellent fruit tiees abound. Among the fruits 
produced are apples, pears, peaches, apricots, strawberries and 
German prunes, while wild grapes, plums and berries grow 

abundantly. 

In several portions of Cullman are found iron and coal. Lead 
and silver have also been discovered. Both on the east and west 
there are large streams which bound the county — the Mulberry 
Fork on the east and the Sipsey Fork on the west. The county 
is drained by these large streams. An abundance of water exists. 

Because of its elevation and other sanitary advantages, Cullman 
is said to be one of the healthiest sections in the United States. 
Epidemics are unknown here, and local sickness is quite rare. 
The heat of summer is not oppressive, and the nights throughout 
the warm season are pleasantly cool. 

The town of Cullman is a point of great interest. Ten years 
ago there was scarcely the trace of a town to be seen. Now there 
is a population of perhaps 2,200 with good hotels, mills, wagon 
factories, blacksmith shops, a lime-kiln and brick-yard, barrel 
manufactories, and furniture factories. Here are to be found 
good school and church facilities. The town is located directly 
upon the great Louisville & Nashville Railway system, which 
gives it advantages with New Orleans on the south and Louisville 
and Cincinnati on the north. People in large numbers come 
from all the surrounding country to do their trading with the 
merchants of Cullman. 

The prices of land in Cullman county vary with their distance 
from the railroad. By reason of its remarkable healthfulness 
and diversity of industrial interests. Cullman county presents 
more than ordinary inducements to the immigrant or investor. 

Cullman county sufficiently indicates what may be done by a 
vigorous, wide-awake colony. And its handsome farms and land- 
scapes of vintage abundantly show what an amazing transforma- 
tion can be produced by a thrifty colony whose efforts are 
intelligently directed. And in addition still, the county clearly 



64 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



demonstrates the capabilities of lands that have long been 
regarded by our people as possessing small worth. 

To have glanced over the sand-colored district where the bust- 
ling little city of Cullman now is, prior to its settlement by the 
German colony, one would have thought its lands too thin and 
barren to respond even to the most irksome toil, and the most 
careful fertilization. But under the direction of skilled owners, 
it has proved to be one of the most desirable sections of Alabama. 
The population is contented and prosperous, and is being, from 
time to time, increased by new acquisitions, both from America 
and Europe. 

In addition to the many cheap lands found in Cullman county 
there are 15,000 acres of land belonging to the government. 



BLOUNT COUNTY. 

^^HIS county was formed in 1818, and named in honor of 
™, Governor Wm. G. Blount, of Tennessee. It is noted for 




the abundance of its minerals, the diversity of its soils, 
the variety of its productions and mineral waters. In its 
progress it is keeping pace with the surrounding counties, and is 
ranked among the best in the State. Its area is 700 square 
miles. 

Population in 1880, 15,369; population in 1890, 21,927. 
White, 20,155; colored, 1,772. 

Area planted in cotton, 28;532 acres; in corn, 37,771 acres; in 
oats, 10,175 acres; in wheat, 1,329 acres; in rye, 39 acres; in 
tobacco, 28 acres; cotton production, 9,748 bales. 

The face of the country in Blount is rather peculiar. It is 
penetrated through the center by a plateau which occupies a belt 
from eight to ten miles in width. On one side of this mountain 
plateau, running parallel with it, is Murphree's Valley, while on 
the opposite side is Brown's Valley. Aloug this belt of plateau 
are found excellent farming lands, which have been wonderfully 
assisted during the last few years by the moderate use of fertili- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 65 



zer8. Cotton grows most readily upon this broad upland, 
especially if a little assisted with fertilizers. 

Because of the greater ease of cultivation, the farmers of the 
county have come, in many instances, to prefer these elevated 
soils to those of the valleys for cotton producing purposes. As 
pasture lauds these cannot be excelled in the county. There is a 
combination of elements here that favor the raising of stock, 
among which may be mentioned an adequate supply of water and 
soils favorable to the growth of clovers and grasses. Perhaps a 
better section than this plateau can not be found in Alabama for 
the production of fruits. As fine apples and peaches grow here 
as are produced in the South. Indeed, Blount has the reputation 
of being the best apple-growing section on the continent. The 
character of the climate is such as to favor a certain crop almost 
annually. It is very rare that the fruit crop is cut off by frosts. 
The valley lands are intrinsically more fertile than those which 
lie along the broad plateau. 

The soils of both the valleys are, in some instances, as rich as 
those which belong to the famous Tennessee Valley. Even along 
these valleys there are flinty ridges which break the evenness 
of the lands, out between these exist the most productive soils. 
The most of the cotton raised in Blount is grown upon the loamy 
valleys. In addition to corn and cotton, the county produces 
oats, wheat, tobacco, sweet potatoes, rye and sorghum. 

It has for several years produced a great deal of wool, and as 
stock-raising increases, there is no doubt that this product will 
correspondingly increase. 

The main streams of Blount are Mulberry, Locust and Black- 
burn Forks, and Big Spring Creek. 

The principal timbers are beech, walnut, poplar, sycamore, post 
and Spauish oaks, hickory, wild cherry, pine and black-gum. 

The county took the premium at the Atlanta Exposition for the 
largest and tiuest specimens of wild cherry. Vast districts of th© 
county are overspread with forests of timber. 

Transportation is afforded through the medium of the great 
Louisville & Nashville Railroad, which traverses it from the north 
to the south. Another railroad is in contemplation and is ex- 
pected soon to be built from Birmingham to Guntersville on the 



66 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Tennessee River. This road will penetrate the heart of the 
famous Murphree's Valley, and along its route, from one terminal 
point to the other, will prevail vast deposits both of coal and iron. 
The road will prove of incalculable advantage to the population 
residing in the region through which it will pass. Such is 
the attractiveness of this region that it will serve speedily to 
allure a population as soon as its resources of mine and soil are 
known. 

Excellent school and church facilities exist in almost every por- 
tion of the county. Blountsville, the seat of justice, Bangor, 
Summit, Hanceville and Garden City are places of importance. 
Both at Blountsville and Bangor there are colleges of local im- 
portance. The industries of the county are varied. Extensive 
limeworks are seen at Blount Springs. Limestone dug from the 
quarries here is daily shipped in large quantities to Birmingham, 
whpire the manufacturers hold it in repute above any other avail- 
able limestone. It prevails in inexhaustible stores in hills about 
Blount Springs. Coal and iron are abundant in the county- 
Petroleum is also found. Enjoying, as it does, facilities for 
transportation to the markets of the South, North and all points 
in the far Northwest, nothing prevents Blount from taking rank 
with the foremost counties of the State. 

Blount Springs, situated immediately upon the Louisville & 
Nashville Railroad, is the favorite waterlog place of Alabama. 
These famous springs are 130 miles north of Montgomery, and 
are embosomed in the most picturesque mountain scenery. The 
waters are especially adapted to the cure of scrofula, rheuma- 
tism, dyspepsia and all affections of the bladder and urinary 
organs. 

Here, as in the adjoining counties which lie along the railroad, 
the value of the lands diminishes as they recede from the line 
of communication. Land can be purchased in the county at 
prices ranging from $5 to $35 per acre. There are 5,140 
acres of Government land in Blount county. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 67 



JEFFERSON COUNTY. 

^^^ HIS county leads all the other counties of the Mineral 
Belt in the development of its resources and in the pro- 
gress which it is making in the manufactures. For 
several years past it has been a scene of bustle and 
business, extensive mining and manufacturing interests having 
sprung into existence in every part of the county. By reason of 
its advancement, it is annually attracting to itself yet other 
agencies which contribute to its growth. Every year it takes 
a new stride forward, and its county-seat, Birmingham, is 
destined to be one of the leading mflnufacturing centers of the 
South. 

Jefferson county has an area of 960 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 32,272; population in 1890, 88,501; white, 
56,334; colored, 32,167. 

Area planted in cotton, 11,790 acres; in corn, 30,398 acres; 
in oats, 7,708 acres; in wheat, 316 acres; in rye, 1 acre; in to- 
bacco, 7 acres; cotton production, 4,829 bales. 

Jefferson county is cut into two unequal divisions by a long, 
narrow valley which traverses it from northeast to southwest. 
Dirtctly northwest of this valley, and embracing nearly two- 
thirds of the territory of the county, are the coal measures of 
the great Warrior coalfield, while in the southern part of the 
county are the coal measures of the Cahaba field. Here, as 
elsewhere, the soil is dependent upon the character of the under- 
lying rock — increasing or diminishing in richness with the fer- 
tility or sterility of rocks beneath. In the main, the soil in 
these regions is of moderate fertility. The surface of the county 
is broken and often mountainous. Upon the table-lands the 
soil is moderately productive, while in the valleys it is quite rich. 
Along the slopes are grown the grasses and cereals, while the 
valleys are largely devoted to the production of corn and cotton. 
Jones Valley is regarded the richest section of the county. It has 
a mulatto soil based upon a red clay subsoil. Along this valley 



68 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 




ALABAMA A8 IT IS. 69 



are found prevailing limestone springs, the waters of which are 
pure, clear and cold. 

The productions of the county are cotton, corn, wheat, oats, 
barley, rye, potatoes (sweet and Irish), and peanuts. Garden 
vegetables of every possible variety thrive almost the year around. 
The fruits which are grown in Jefferson county have made Birm- 
ingham one of the leading fruit markets of the State. Peaches, 
apples, plums, pears, apricots, pomegranates and grapes are raised 
in great profusion, and mature to perfection even with indolent 
culture. Vast sums of money are annually accumulated by fruit 
growers and vegetable producers in the country surrounding Birm- 
ingham. There is scarcely an industry manipulated by man 
but has an existence in the county of Jefferson. 

Stock-raising is receiving attention and will grow apace with 
the years, as the soil and climate favor the production of grasses 
and clovers, and the numerous competing railway lines will fur- 
nish the speediest transportation to the most favorable markets of 
the continent. In addition to this, the county is well watered. 
Locust Fork of the Black Water River flows through the north- 
west, receiving Five Mile, Village and Valley creeks. The 
southern and southeastern parts of the county are drained through 
Shades' Creek, which flows into the Cahaba River. 

In every section are to be found forests of pine, oak, ash, 
hickory, elm, walnut and other valuable woods. 

The mineral products of the county are simply marvelous. 
From present indications the resources of the county will not be 
exhausted for centuries to come. Mammoth fortunes have been 
dug from the rocky hills, and yet they seem barely touched ^by 
the invading pick-axe. Coal and iron seem to abound in exhaust- 
less quantities. A better estimate of the abundance of these 
minerals will be had by glancing at the following table of local 
industries in and about the Magic City, Birmingham: 

Pratt Coal & Coke Company's mines are situated six miles 
northwest of Birmingham; population about 5,000; capacity, 
3,000 tons per diem ; employs over 1,000 men and boys. This is 
the most extensively worked mine in Alabama. Colonel E. Ens- 
ley, President. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 




ALABAMA AS IT IS. 71 



Miner Coal & Iron Company; eight miles northeast; capacity 
1,000 tons per day; employs 500 men. 

Eureka Iron Company, Oxmoor, six miles south; population 
exceeds 1,500; furnace number one, capacity, 60 tons per day; 
furnace number two, capacity, 100 tons per day; employs about 
600 men. 

Wheeling, Alabama; eight miles southwest; capacity of fur- 
nace, 125 tons daily; employs 350 men, and has six miles of rail- 
road to mines. 

The New Castle Coal & Coke Company, twelve miles above 
Birmingham ; number of men employed and capacity not given ; 
daily output, about 500 tons. 

Alice Furnace Company; furnace number one, 70 tons capacity 
daily; furnace number two, 125 tons capacity daily; employs 
more than 500 men; capital, |500,000; T. T. Hillman, President. 

SIoss Furnace Company ; furnace number one, 80 tons capacity 
daily; furnace number two, 125 tons capacity daily; employs 600 
men; capital, $500,000; J. W. Sloss,- President. 

Mary Pratt Furnace ; DeBardaleben & Underwood, proprietors ; 
charcoal iron furnace; capacity, 60 tons per day; employs 500 
men. 

Birmingham Rolling Mills Company; twenty- four puddling 
furnaces, muck mill, merchant bar, large mill and guide mill; 
employs 450 to 500 men, double turn. 

Southern Mining & Transportation Company; capacity, 1,000 
tons per day; employs 500 men. 

Birmingham Cotton INEiils; capital stock, |50,000; use 3,250 
spindles, 15 carders and 6 warping mills; employs 70 operators; 
J. H. Lockhart, President. 

Magic City Iron Works; foundry and machine shop; employ 
100 men; Beggs & Son, proprietors, who also conduct a planing, 
mill and sash and blind factory. 

Linn Iron Works; manufacture engines, boilers, and all kinds 
of furnace, mill and plantation machinery; employ 150 to 200 
men. 

Jefferson Iron Works; same as above; employ about 200 men. 

W. P. Brewer; manufactures lumber, sash, doors, blinds and 
furniture; employs 65 to 100 men. 



72 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



The Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company's workshops at 
Birmingham give employment to over 1,000 men. 

The Georgia Pacific Railway Company employs about 500 men; 
the Alabama Great Southern and various mineral roads give em- 
ployment to perhaps 500 additional. 

It has besides the furnaces and industries already named the 
following enterprises: 

The largest and best equipped rolling mills south of Richmond, 
making iron rails and all sorts of bar, plate and sheet-iron — being 
the only mills in the South that makes sheet-iron — and selling 
their product ail over the South, West and Northwest. 

Eight foundries and machine shops, making from blowing en- 
gines for furnaces down — machinery, steam-pumps, cast-pipe, jail- 
cells, railroad-frogs, switches and turn-tables, and all manner of 
small castings. Bridge-works, two in number, one of which 
makes bolts and nuts also. A chain factory, the first in the 
South. A stove foundry, making also grates and plumbers' pipe. 
Another in course of construction, for which the capital comes 
from Louisville, and which will probably be the largest in the 
South. 

Outside of iron there are these enterprises in the city: A gin 
factory, a cotton compress, now building; an agricultural imple- 
ment factory, an ice factory, the capacity, of which is to be 
increased from fifteen to forty-five tons a day; another under way; 
a brewery, a large flouring mill, pipe works, the largest consumer 
of pig iron in the South, taking the entire product of two large 
furnaces — the first venture of Pittsburo: manufacturers in Ala- 
bama; elevator and hoisting machinery works, a tool factory, a 
very large stove concern. 

The manufacture of the finest steel has been undertaken with 
the same success which has characterized every other institution 
established at this point. It would be practically impossible 
within the space allotted to Jefferson county to indicate the nu- 
merous industries large and small, prevailing within and about 
Birmingham. 

This great city, which is alike the wonder of the resident and 
visitor, will no doubt in ten years have drawn to itself a popula- 
tion of 70,000. In addition to its mammoth industries which are 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



73 




74 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



barely hinted at above, the city can boast of as handsome resi- 
dences and hotels as any city in the South. 

Its public school buildings, its handsome church edifices, its 
street railway system, its electric lights and attractive public 
parks show that the city is not wholly engrossed with the spirit 
o£ accumulation of gain. 

As one passes along the spacious streets and broad avenues, he 
is struck with amazement at every step, when he remembers that 
only a few years ago the spot which it now occupies was a cast- 
away old field. 

While Col. McClure of the Philadelphia Times was en rouie 
to the New Orleans Exposition, three years ago, he wrote thus 
concerning Birmingham : 

"Three trunk railway lines cross each other in this city, giving 
it the best railway facilities of any interior Southern center, ex- 
cepting those of Atlanta. These lines, extending by main routes 
to the gulf, to the coast, to the east, to the lakes, and to the west, 
and reaching every part of the country by their connections and 
tributaries, furnish rare facilities for the development of the 
wealth that abounds here; and new and important railway lines 
are soon to be added to them. And when it is considered that as 
railway outlets multiply, the great river highway of the Warrior 
will be hastened to completion, the business possibilities of this 
region would seem increditable to the North, even when cautiously 
stated. Through the kindness of the Mayor and the President of 
the Board of Trade, I was enabled to visit and thoroughly ex- 
amine the great coal mines and iron establishments which have 
created Birmingham, and the universal activity and unerring 
signs of prosperous operations present a marked contrast with 
our coal and iron regions in the North. 

"There is a furnace here on a farm that furnishes everything 
necessary to make iron — the iron ore, coal, limestone and sand — 
but the great beds of iron, coal and limestone are in a radius of 
four or five miles. That these exhaustless sources of wealth in 
such close proximity must soon defy competition in the product 
of the ordinary iron, I regard as no longer a doubtful problem ; 
but it is yet doubtful whether the competition can extend to the 
better qualities of iron and steel. The manufacture of steel has 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 75 



not been attempted as yet, and while it is claimed that it will soon 
be produced here at the same relative cost as iron and equal in 
quality to the steel of Pennsylvania, I feel no assurance that it 
can be doue at all. The faith of the iron men of Birmiugfham is 
so strong in its resources that they confidently claim everything 
for it possessed by any other iron district of theiworld, even to 
the blades of Damascus; but here, as elsewhere iu all the world, 
there will be material limitations upon the perfection of iron 
products." 

Since that time the change has been so great that the distin- 
guished Philadelphiau would scarcely recognize the same city 
could he visit it now. The city limits have been greatly extended, 
the most expensive and attractive buildings have been erected, 
the population has been vastly increased, extensive dummy lines 
have been established so as to reach out in every possible direc- 
tion, extending sometimes the distance of fifteen miles, important 
railroads have been built and large suburban interests have grown 
up. Instead of the three railway trunk lines, to which allusion is 
made, there are now five, viz: Louisville & Nashville, Queen & 
Crescent, Georgia Pacific, Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham, 
and Columbus & Western. Besides these there are extensions 
from the great systems which penetrate the regions adjacent to 
Birmingham in all directions. About Birmingham, as a common 
center, there have sprung up many 

SUBURBAN TOWNS. 

Among these may be mentioned Avondale, with a population 
of 2,000, with its furnaces, stove-works and other improvements. 
Its connection with the city is by rail, street car and dummy lines. 

Woodlawn is another town which, by its healthful and attrac- 
tive location and its railroad facilities, has won the admiration of 
all visitors. It is about four miles east of Birmingham, has a 
population of 1,500, and is situated upon the Alabama Great 
Southern, Georgia Pacific, and Columbus & Western railroads. 
By dummy line, passage to the city may be secured every few 
minutes. It is most attractive as a place of residence. 

Between the two last named points is located the Birmingham 
Safe and Lock Factory. 



76 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



East Ijake, six miles distant from the city, is a most pic- 
turesque town, which shows alike the undulations of the foot hills 
of the neighboring mountains and the grassy smoothness of Ru- 
hama Valley. Its water is from crystal mountain springs, pure 
and healthful. It has a charming artificial lake of thirty acres, 
handsome residences, and is the location of Howard College — the 
Baptist institution of the State, and the Atheneum, a superior col- 
lege for girls and young women. It has connection with Birm- 
ingham by dummy transit. It is being rapidly peopled by an in- 
telligent population, attracted hither largely by the excellent edu- 
cational advantages enjoyed. 

Lake View is a resort for rest and pleasure, though it has an 
excellent school for the education of young women, being provided 
with an immense hotel, a romantic artificial lake, for boating and 
bathing purposes, and extensive grounds for out-door sports. 

Bessemer. 

This is a city of scarcely more than a year's growth. It is situ- 
ated upon the Alabama Great Southern Railroad of the Queen & 
Crescent system, and is about fourteen miles southwest of Birm- 
ingham. Already it has a population of 2,500, and its broad and 
well graded streets, its attractive architecture, its furnaces and 
adjacent mines, and its dummy and railway system give promise 
of vast possibilities. 

Several railway lines are already projected, and it is believed 
that they will be speedily constructed. 

The transportation facilities of the county are unexcelled, as it 
is penetrated by five of the grand railway thoroughfares of the 
South, viz: Louisville & Nashville, Alabama Great Southern, the 
Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham, the Georgia Pacific and 
the Columbus & Western. Other important lines are being 
turned in this direction, and some of these will seek Birmingham 
as a terminal point. Besides these there are many extensions 
from the main trunk lines. 

Excellent church and educational advantages prevail in all the 
points named in the county, while throughout the country dis- 
tricts a common school system is sustained. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



77 




UJ 

< 

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1- 
co 

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LU 

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78 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



SOUTHERN FEMALE UNIVERSITY. 

The Southern Female University, situated at Lakeview, Bir- 
mingham, Ala., is 150 feet above the city, elegantly furnished, 
heated by steam, electric lights and electric bells. Supplied 
throughout with pure water. Boats of latest improvemeot on 
lake for use of pupils. Beautiful lawn tennis grounds. Finest 
Natatorium in the country. Chalybeate spring water, equal to 
those of Virginia and Germany. Over twenty States represented 
this scholastic year. Faculty first-class in every particular. 
Moral tone of school is all that could be desired. 



EAST LAKE ATHENEUM. 

The East Lake Atheneum is a college founded by Dr. Solomon 
Palmer for the higher education of young ladies. It is situated 
at East Lake, a delightful residence suburb of Birmingham, with 
which it has reliable communication by dummies every thirty 
minutes. It was chartered with ample powers by the Legislature 
of 1890-91. It did not secure its new and handsome building 
until 1892-93. This building as shown here is one of the 

prettiest in the State, and occu- 
pies a commanding site on 
Atheneum Eminence, which 
overlooks the city six miles dis- 
tant and all the surrounding 
country. The building is con- 
structed of stone taken from a 
quarry not a mile distant, and 
of pressed bricks. It is heated 
throughout by steam and has 
a chapel, recitation, dining and 

bed rooms, to accommodate 150 or 200 pupils. In fact it has 
averaged an enrollment of two hundred pupils ever since founded 
in 1890. It has some ten or twelve regular teachers all experienced 
and specially fitted for the work required of them. Besides the 
literary department special facilities are offered for music, both 
instrumental and vocal, art, elocution and stenography. The 




ALABAMA AS IT IS. 79 



Atheneum will soon be one of the leading educational institutions 
of the South. 

LANDS. 

Lands may be purchased in the county for prices ranging from 
$2.50 to $50 per acre. Much as the inhabitants are engaged in 
the development of this amazing section, they are never unmind- 
ful of the stranger seeking a home in their midst. 

Government lands exist in Jefferson county to the extent of 
9,920 acres of mineral lands. ' 



SHELBY COUNTY. 



^HE county of Shelby was constituted in the year 1818. It 
MP received its name from Governor Isaac Shelby, of Ken- 
tucky. It is highly favored in location, climate and min- 
eral wealth. It is justly ranked as one of the best coun- 
ties of the State. Of late, rapid strides have been made in Shel- 
by county in the development of her mineral wealth. Large in- 
terests of many kinds have been established and are in a thrifty 
condition. It has an area of 780 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 17,236 ; population in 1890, 20,886. White, 
14,289; colored, 6,597. 

Area planted in cotton, 17,392 acres; in corn, 24,418; in oats, 
5,955 acres; in wheat, 536 acres; in tobacco, 10 acres; in rye, 
13 acres. 

Cotton production — 7,238 bales. 

The general surface of Shelby county is hilly and rough — feat- 
ures inseparable from a mineral district. Still, there are many 
valuable lands, for agricultural purposes, to be found. The north- 
western portion of the county is formed by the coal measures of 
the famous Cahaba coal field; the central part by thoee of the 
Coosa coal field. Lying between these two natural divisions is the 
valley of the Coosa. Along these coal measures is to bo found 
the usual rugged surface, and the soil is of a sandy character and 



80 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



not very fertile. The Coosa Valley, which extends the distance 
of thirty miles through the county, is based upon mountain lime- 
stone. It varies in width from two to eight miles. The lower 
valley lands, formed of lime, clay and vegetable matter, are quite 
fertile; the higher lands of gravel and clay are of inferior char- 
acter. The lands in the valleys are esteemed altogether as good 
as those found in the famous Valley of the Tennessee. Corn and 
cotton grow luxuriantly here, and their yield, under favoring cir- 
cumstances, is immense. In addition to these, Shelby produces 
oats, wheat, rye,' barley, and indeed all crops grown in this lati- 
tude. Some portions of the county are peculiarly adapted to 
stock-raising. This is especially true of the region lying west of 
the valley already described. 

On the western boundary of the county is the Cahaba Valley, 
the width of which varies as does that of the Coosa upon the «^ast. 
The characteristics of soil are the same as in the valley first men- 
tioned — fertile in the bottoms and thin and gravelly upon the 
highlands. 

The conditions in many portions of Shelby are quite favorable 
to the production of fruit, and orchard culture is receiving, by 
degrees, more attention. 

The prevailing timbers are oak, hickory, chestnut, mulberry 
and pine. Along the numerous valleys that intersect each other 
throughout the county is to be found the short-leaf pine; while 
the knolls and uplands are crowned with the long-leaf pine. Dur- 
ing the greater part of the year water prevails in vast abundance 
in every section of the county. 

The Coosa river forms the eastern boundary and receives the 
drainage of that portion of Shelby. Big and Little Cahaba 
Bivers drain the western part. 

Springs abound throughout the county. Issuing from beneath 
the pine-crowned ridges, that lie between the minor intersecting 
valleys, or else bursting from thousands of craggy mouths from 
the rocky hillsides, these springs flow down through the valleys 
in perennial streams, supplying water in richest abundance to 
man and beast. 

But the peculiar glory of Shelby is her broad domains of coal 
and iron, her vast treasures of stone, and her health-giving min- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS, 81 



eral waters. Extensive manufactories of iron exist at the Shelby 
Iron Works, which have been in successful operation for thirty 
years, and at Helena, where are located the Central Iron Works. 
In addition to these interests are found the Helena coal mines, 
and the Montevallo coal mines. Furthermore, there are consid- 
erable lime works at Calera, Siluria and Longview, in the county. 
Some of these furnish lime as far south as Galveston, and as far 
north as Louisville and Cairo. Between Shelby Springs and the 
Coosa River is an extensive slate formation which, when ex- 
plored, will no doubt furnish fine roofing slate in abundance. 

In some of the limestone formations are to be found as superb 
building stone as exists in any quarter of the globe. Among these 
may be mentioned a light grayish-blue rock, dotted over with dark 
spots, black marble, yellow marble with black spots, gray and 
dove-colored marbles. These are quite durable, and serve admir- 
ably as ornamental building material. In the mountains, between 
the upper portion of Shelby and the St. Clair portion of the Caha- 
ba Valley, there is, in wonderful abundance, a beautiful sandstone 
that would serve for building purposes. Barytes and slate also 
exist. 

Just above Calera, on the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia 
Railroad are the Shelby Springs, a favorite watering resort. The 
location is high and healthful, and the waters have valuable 
medicinal properties. 

The advantages of transportation in the county are excellent. 
At Calera there is an intersection of the Louisville & Nashville 
Railroad, and the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad. 
The former of these lines runs north and south through the 
county, and the other almost east and west. All the benefits ac- 
cruing from competing lines are here afforded. 

The points of greatest interest in the county are Columbiana, 
the county seat, with a population of about 800; Calera, which is 
located at the intersection of the two railroads already men- 
tioned ; Wilsonville, Harpersville, Helena, Montevallo and Shelby> 
population 1,200. This is the most thriving place in the county. 
It has two large furnaces and a number of prosperous business 

houses. Excellent church and educational facilities exist at all 

5 



82 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



these points, A common school system under favorable direc- 
tion exists throughout the county. 

The chief center of interest in the county is the growing town 
of Calera. Its name is of Spanish origin, and indicates the char- 
acter of the surrounding region. Calera being the Spanish word 
for lime. It has a population possibly of 1,200, and for a num- 
ber of years has been the location of a large foundry. 

The town supports good schools and churches, and has one of 
the best hotels in the State. It is located in the midst of coal, 
iron, lime and excellent timber, and enjoys railroad facilities in 
all directions, being at the intersection of the Louisville <fe Nash- 
ville and East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroads, 

Throughout the county of Shelby there abound the facilities of 
human comfort, so great are the advantages of climate and the 
diversity of soils and mineral products. 

Lands may be purchased at prices ranging from $2.50 to $25 
per acre. 

There exist 3,320 acres of government land in the county. 



TALLADEGA COUNTY. 



^^^ALLADEGA receives its name from two Indian words, 
Ifl^ tallafoio, a town, and fo kee, hills. It is separated from 
^^^ Shelby county by the Coosa River, For delightful scenery 
Talladega county, perhaps, leads every other in the State, While 
it has rugged mountains in all their native wildness, it has vast 
stretches of valley loveliness, dotted over with neat and thrifty 
farms, blending in a most charming manner the useful and the 
beautiful. Some portions of Talladega county will compare 
favorably with the famous Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. 

It has an area of 700 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 23,360; population in 1890, 29,345. 
White, 15,399; colored, 13,947. 

Area planted in cotton, 38,588 acres; in corn, 37,117 acres; in 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 83 



oats, 9,670 acres; in wheat, 2,225 acres; in rye, 171 acres; in to- 
bacco, 6 acres. 

Cotton Production — 15,686 bales. 

Talladega county lies between a range of high hills on the east, 
and the Coosa Eiver on the west. The prevailing soil is red, 
which fact is due to the presence of iron in almost every part of 
the county. This is the most productive soil found in this region. 
The valley lands east of the mountain ranges constitute the most 
attractive part of Talladega county, and it would be difficult to 
find anywhere a section which has greater natural advantages 
than the belt of country lying east of the East Tennessee, Virginia 
& Georgia Railroad, and extending as far south as the Kahatchee 
Hills. These broad and fertile valleys are interrupted here and 
there by ranges of forest-covered mountains and hills, while an 
occasional stream of exceeding beauty lends additional charm to 
the scene. 

The most diversified farming is carried on in every part of the 
county, and with the most gratifying success. Cotton, corn, oats, 
and rye are the principal crops. Every vegetable that grows in 
the Temperate Zone is produced here. They thrive almost the 
year around. Fruits grow to wonderful perfection, especially 
apples, peaches, pears and grapes. The soil and climate seem 
peculiarly suited to the growth of grapes. The attention which 
has been given grape culture has been, in a number of instances, 
abundantly rewarded. Indeed, fruits of every variety flourish in 
these soils. Strawberries, raspberries, figs and melons will inev- 
itably yield in proportion to the attention bestowed. All these 
products find a ready outlet through the different channels of 
commerce afforded by the railroads, which traverse several parts 
of the county. 

Talladega is streaked here and there by perennial streams, al- 
most all of which have their sources in the mountain ranges in 
the east, and flow entirely across the county to the Coosa River, 
which forms its extreme western boundary. Tallasseehatchee, 
Chehawhaw, Choccolocco, Blue Eye, Talladega and Clear Creeks 
are the main streams. 

In every part of the county, perpetual springs gush from the 
hill ranges, many of which are freestone, while others are again 



84 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



impregnated with iron, sulphur and other minerals. Near the 
eastern border of the county, below the Kahatchee Hills, is 
found the well-known Sulphur Spring. It is said to possess 
the most attractive suiToundings of all the watering places in 
Alabama. 

One of the coming industries of the county will be stock-rais- 
ing, as the greatest inducements to this pursuit exist in abund- 
ance. Luxuriant grasses and wild clovers grow spontaneously, 
and when cultivated they iare quite fine. This consideration, taken 
in connection with the prevalence of perpetual streams, makes it 
a most desirable section for this branch of industry, which is just 
now assuming such proportions in the South. 

Within the limits of Talladega are found extensive forests of 
splendid timber. These forests embrace a great variety of timber, 
consisting of yellow or long-leaf pine, the different varieties of 
oak, hickory, yellow poplar, black walnut, red cedar, ash, gum, 
elm, persimmon and sassafras. 

In some instances there are broad domains of forest, as yet 
untouched by the rude hand of invasion. 

The minerals of the county are varied and valuable. Investi- 
gation has shown that there are three gigantic ranges of deposits 
of brown hematite ore running throughout Talladega. These are 
calling into operation numerous furnaces, and are causing the 
construction of an increasing number of railway lines. The mar- 
ble quarries of Talladega are noted ; limestone, lithographic stone 
and slate are also found in considerable quantities, with large 
quantities of gold, silver, copper and lead. Not until within the 
last few years has public attention been called to the vast mineral 
resources of this county. Since that time there has been a con- 
tinual growth of population, and real estate is gradually increas- 
ing in value. Among the industries of the county may be men- 
tioned the Clifton Iron Company, at Jenifer, the furnace at Iron- 
ton Junction (formerly Alabama Furnace). Of late, extensive 
gold mines have been developed in the county and are now being 
worked with decided profit. 

Formerly there were worked near Talladega and Syllacauga 
extensive marble quarries, but of late the work has not been 
prosecuted to any considerable extent. A block of marble from 




ALABAMA AS IT 13. 85 



these quarries has a place in the great Washington Monument, at 
the National Capital. These valuable marbles will again win at- 
tention, and assume more than their original importance in the 
markets. 

A gigantic enterprise, in the form of a lumbering interest ex- 
ists at Benfroe, in Talladega county. It is located at the ter- 
minus of the Talladega & Coosa Valley Eailroad, which is being 
extended across Coosa River to Broken Arrow, in St. Clair coun- 
ty, making connection with the East & West Alabama Railroad. 
Of late, unusual attention has been called to the Cragdale water 
power on Talladega Creek. This is a sudden plunge of a vast 
volume of water into a valley lying beneath. The hands of a 
Titan seem to have scooped out this great stony trough-way for 
the passage of these mighty waters, and to have reared these 
rocky ramparts on either side for some great indust 
prise. 

The point of greatest prominence in the county is Talladega, 
the county seat, with a population of 3,500. It is noted for the 
enterprise of its citizens, the size and character of its institutions 
of learning, and the beauty and healthf ulness of its location. Tal- 
ladega has a system of waterworks, superior perhaps, to those of 
any city of the same size in the South. It is beautifully lighted 
with gas. The citizens have recently erected an imposing school 
building, and have adopted the public school system. Besides 
this, there are two colleges of merit in the city — one white and 
one colored. It has excellent churches, and is the location of the 
Deaf, Dumb and Blind Institute of the State. 

Childersburg, Alpine and Mumford, are also points of interest. 
In the extreme southern portion of the county are the Talladega 
Springs, which have long been a favorite resort as a watering 
place. The popularity of such points with our people, together 
with the superiority of these waters, warrants the belief that they 
will one day be considerably patronized. 

The county enjoys considerable facilities for railroad transpor- 
tation, there being live lines, viz: The East Tennessee, Virginia 
& Georgia, the Georgia Pacific, the Anniston & Atlantic, the 
Oolumbus & Western and the Talladega & Coosa Valley Railroads. 
These will doubtless be largely increased in a few years, as Eng- 



86 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



lish and Northern capital is finding expression in different sections 
of the county in the purchase of timber and mineral lands, and 
already plans are on foot to establish furnaces near the city of 
Talladega. The social advantages of the county are numerous 
and superior. The masses of the population are more than ordi- 
narily intelligent, thrifty and well-to-do. 

Lands may be purchased in the county from prices ranging 
from $5 to $35, according to location, fertility and improvements. 
There is a wide-spread desire to have earnest, wide-awake immi- 
grants populate the unoccupied areas of the county. There are 
in the county 10,800 acres of land belonging to the General Gov- 
ernment, and this affords an additional inducement to settlers. 



SAINT CLAIR COUNTY. 



m 



IHIS is one of the territorial counties of the State, having 
been organized in 1816. It was named for General Arthur 
Saint Clair, Like many other counties in the same part of 
the State, it is receiving particular notice as one of great mineral 
wealth. The Red Mountains pass through this county for a dis- 
tance of some thirty miles, running northeast and southwest. In 
these mountains are large and inexhaustible quantities of rich, 
red hematite ore. The ridges on the northwest side of JBeaver 
Creek, which traverses the entire length of the county, are in 
many places, filled with an excellent quality of brown ore. The 
ridge dividing Shoal and Beaver creeks has deposited in it in 
places a superior quality of hemonite ore, suitable for steel making. 
In the eastern and southeastern portion of the county and on the 
western side of Coosa River are to be found large and valuable 
deposits of brown ore. 

The area of St, Clair is 630 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 14,062; population in 1890, 17,353; white, 
14,305; colored, 3,050, 

Area planted in cotton, 16,966 acres; in corn, 24,946 acres; in 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 87 



oats, 4,235 acres; in wheat, 1,495 acres; in tobacco, 2 acres; in 
rye, 13 acres; cotton production, 7,136 bales. 

The most valuable portions of the Coosa coal field are in this 
county. The field is in width about five miles, and in length some 
twenty-five miles. This field is traversed nearly its entire length 
by the East & West Railroad of Alabama. The road running 
parallel with the out-crop of the coal veins. Coal is extensively 
worked at Coal City, Ragland and luman. There is not a finer 
steam coal anywhere in the State than is raised at these mines. 
The coal makes good coke. There are a large number of coke 
ovens at both Coal City and Ragland. This coal is easily and 
cheaply mined and finds a ready sale. The opening up of the 
Coosa River to navigation to the Gulf will add greatly to the value 
of this field. 

The upper Cahaba coal field is found in this county covering a 
large area, and lying on the Black creeks between Springville and 
Henry Ellen. In this part of the field the veins are very thick, 
some as much as seven feet in thickness. They lie well, are easily 
mined and the coal is of excellent variety. For want of trans- 
portation this part of the field has not been worked to any great 
extent. When the East & West Railroad is built on to Birming- 
ham and the Chattanooga Southern is extended to the latter place, 
this field will be of great value. 

The upper Warrior coal field lies on the eastern portion of 
Blount county, and in places crop out over the line in St. Clair 
county. This portion of the Warrior field for want of transpor- 
tation has not been worked. The Tennessee River, Ashville & 
Coosa River Railway, now being constructed, will bring this field 
to the front. This road will pass over the Warrior field for many 
miles. The veins of coal are good in quality and quantity, and 
much of the mining can be done without the use of pumps, the 
coal being above the water-level. 

Limestone is found almost everywhere. Ifc lies on the mountain 
sides and in blufPs, and can be cheaply quarried and manufac- 
tured. The quality is not surpassed in any part of the State. 
The fossiliferous, blue and magnesia limes are all to be had in 
St. Clair. This county also has an abundance of marble. Also, 
a superior qjuality of millstone grit. 



88 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Ashville, the county site, is situated in one of the prettiest and 
most fertile valleys in that part of the State. It is built just at 
the base of the eastern Red Mountain. It is safe to say that 
there is within five miles of this town enough red, brown and 
hemonite ore to run a score of furnaces for hundreds of years. 
There are in the town, springs sufficiently large to run a mill, 
besides Big Canoe Creek, which might well be called a river pass- 
ing on its way to the Coosa through the place. In olden times, 
flat boats were laden with the products of the county and carried 
from Ashville to Mobile. No town in Northeastern Alabama has 
more natural advantages than this place, and at no distant day 
will be a great manufacturing center. The health of the place is 
excellent. 

The northeastern boundary of St. Clair county is formed by 
Blount or Strait Mountain, which is the southern end of the 
branches of Sand Mountain, recognized as a part of the coal field 
of the State. In the northwestern corner of the county Chandler 
Mountain, about eleven miles long and five miles wide, is of the 
same formation. The top of this mountain is about nine hun- 
dred feet above its base. The mountain is well watered and 
timbered, and quite fertile. It offers peculiar advantages for 
fruit growing. The fruit crops never fail on this elevated spot. 
The A. G. S. R. R. passes at the foot on the eastern side. Market 
for fruits: Birmingham, Chattanooga and Cincinnati. The moun- 
tain is within 24 hours run of Cincinnati. The lands can be had 
on good terms. In fact some of these lands are owned by the 
Government, and can be purchased for the fees incurred in enter- 
ing them. 

Between the hills and mountain ranges which the coal meas- 
ures always form, lie the chief valleys ; Coosa Valley, between the 
river and coal field, and the Cahaba Valley, between the Coosa 
and Cahaba coal fields. These valleys are broken here and there 
with narrow ridges, which run the entire length, creating a great 
diversity of soil. It will be observed that the county presents a 
great variety in its topographical and other natural features. 

Here as elsewhere, the fertile lands lie along the valleys, while 
the thinner soil crown the higher lands. The Coosa Valley, 
which as we have seen, lies along the eastern part of St. Clair, is 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 89 



about ten miles wide. The lands are quite productive, and are 
for the most part devoted to corn, cotton, wheat, oats and pota- 
toes. Cahaba Valley is also rich in soil, and is flanked on either 
side with charming scenery. Big Canoe Creek Valley, which is 
about eight miles wide, is regarded the most attractive, in point 
of scenery, of all, and with respect to fertility is equal to any 
land in the State. Along these valleys grow the staple products 
of the county, viz: Cotton, corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley, sor- 
ghum, sweet and Irish potatoes. 

The last National census shows that St. Clair county produces 
more cotton to the acre than any other county in the State. Along 
the slopes and table lands of St. Clair grow the superb fruits 
which are produced, such as apples, peaches, pears, plums and all 
varieties of berries. 

These mountain districts, because of their healthful climate and 
responsive soils, are being rapidly peopled. 

In every part of the county grasses and clover do well. The 
Japan clover grows luxuriantly and wild, furnishing herbage for 
stock from early spring to frost. 

Along the valleys, particularly, grow the finest specimens of 
oak timbers. The mountain slopes are covered with valuable 
woods. In different portions of the county are found the several 
varieties of timbers, such as long-leaf or yellow pine, white and 
red oaks, poplar and hickory. Some of these compose vast for- 
ests, which occupy much of the most productive land in St. Clair. 

The county throughout is streaked by perpetual streams, which 
are fed by innumerable springs of water. Chief among these 
springs may be named Broken Arrow, Trout, Shoal and Canoe 
Creeks and East and West forks of the Cahaba River. The Ca- 
haba River, which grows into such large proportions as it flows 
south, has it source among the hills of this county. Most of 
these streams are wide and deep, affording an endless supply of 
water, and furnishing many natural sites for industrial enter- 
prises. The county is favored in its railroad advantages — there 
being four to give outlet to its products, viz: The Alabama Great 
Southern, Georgia Pacific, East & West, Tennessee River, Ash- 
ville & Coosa, and Talladega & Coosa Valley Railroads. 

St, Clair embraces 3,000 acres of government land. 



90 ■ ALABAMA AS IT IS. 




ETOWAH COUNTY. 

HE county of Etowah derives its name from an Indian term 
which means pine tree. It was created in 1866 under the 
^^ name of Baine, which name it retained for two years, when 
"^fer it was changed to Etowah. It is located in that section of 
the State which abounds in numerous elements of natural wealth, 
such as productive lands, forests of valuable timber, and deposits 
of ore. Pluck and capital are needed to develop the immense re- 
sources in which Etowah abounds. Favored both with railroad 
and river transportation, the county ought to be speedily devel- 
oped. But let us examine more minutely into its merits. 

Its area is 520 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 15,398; population in 1890, 21,926. 
AVhites, 18,171; colored, 3,755. 

Area planted in cotton, 20,996 acres; in corn, 27,728 acres; in 
oats, 7,246 acres; in wheat, 973 acres; in tobacco, 27 acres; in 
rye, 3 acres. 

Cotton Production— 9,, A:^2 bales. 

The county of Etowah is penetrated from the northeast to the 
southwest by two mountain plateaus and three valleys. The 
Coosa River flows through the eastern part of the county, thereby 
forming the valley of the same name, the fertility of which we 
have had occasion already to notice. The historic Coosa sweeps 
directly along the heart of the valley, which curves with the 
natural windings of the river. The valley begins to form by a 
slight undulation about three or four miles on either side of the 
Coosa. 

As in other counties penetrated by this noted Coosa Valley, it 
is broken here and there by dividing ridges. 

Beginning southwest of Gadsden and extending to the utmost 
limits of the county are what are locally known as "The Flat- 
woods." This is quite a level tract of country. With the proper 
drainage this broad domain could be brought into agricultural 
requisition, but as it is but poorly drained it is comparatively little 
cultivated. Nothing seems wanting but drainage, as the natural 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 91 



growth and analysis of the soils show that the land is capable of 
at least moderate production. 

Flanking the fiatwoods region are the cultivated lands of the 
belt. The land here is of a brownish cast and produces well. 
The Lookout Mountain plateau extends from the northeastern 
part of the county to Gadsden. This table laud is covered with 
the rocks of the Coal Measures, the soils of which, as usual, are 
sandy, alternating with loam. 

Wills' Valley lies between this plateau and another from Sand 
Mountain, which runs parallel with the former. 

Beyond this still is Murphree's Valley. These valley lands are 
quite productive, being of a dark mulatto or mahogany color. 
These lands are usually stiff, but yield abundant results where 
properly drained, deeply plowed, and otherwise well cultivated. 
The lands lying along the ridges and plateaus are sandy and easily 
cultivated. Upon these plateau 'lands there can be a more rapid 
rotation of crops, as they grow up rapidly and mature speedily. 
In the valleys are forests of oak, hickory, chestnut and walnut. 
The Fiatwoods region is covered with post, red, Spanish and black- 
jack oaks, together with sweet and sour gums, and short-leaf 
pines. The chief products of the county are cotton, corn, wheat, 
oats, millet, sorghum, sweet and Irish potatoes and clover. The 
plateaus yield very fine fruits, especially apples, pears, peaches 
and plums. So well adapted are the soils to the production of the 
clovers and grasses that attention is being directed to stock-breed- 
ing. For many years the production of wool has been a specialty 
in the county. A few years ago it ranked third in the production 
of wool. The county is watered by Big and Little Wills' Creeks, 
Black Creek and the Coosa Kiver. There are many bold springs 
in different parts of the county. Transportation is furnished by 
the Alabama Great Southern Railroad, which connects with the 
steamers on the Coosa at Gadsden, by means of a short line 
running between the last named place and Attalla. This af- 
fords an easy outlet by rail from Gadsden to New Orleans, 
Cincinnati, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Birmingham and other points 
of importance. Other railroads penetratiug the county are the 
Anniston & Cincinnati, Tennessee & Coosa River, and Rome & 
Decatur lines. 



92 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Considerable quantities of iron ore are mined in the neighbor- 
hood of Attalla and shipped to the furnaces at Birmingham and 
Chattanooga. In this particular section are many excellent lum- 
ber mills. 

Gadsden. 

Gadsden, with a population of 3,700, is one of the most attrac- 
tive as well as one of the most important points in the State. 
Besides its beautiful river, upon which ply large packets, it has 
three important railways, viz: Anniston & Cincinnati, Tennessee 
& Coosa Valley, and Rome & Decatur. It is but a short distance 
from the Queen & Crescent line between Cincinnati and New Or- 
leans. It is regarded one of the best lumber markets in the 
State, having a number of extensive mills for the manufacture of 
lumber. Besides these, there is a large sash, door and blind fac- 
tory, and a broom-handle factory. In the neighborhood of the 
town there are several coal mines which are being successfully 
worked. 

The town abounds in excellent church and school advantages. 

Its natural scenery can not be surpassed by that of any other 
point in the State. 

The scene is that of a busy city nestled amid its native groves 
of oak at the base of high mountains, the woody flanks of which 
extend even to the limits of the city. 

Various manufactories are found here, chief among which are 
the Coosa charcoal furnaces, which are among the largest and 
best in the State. Not a great distance from the city is mined 
brown hematite ore, which is broadly diffused throughout this 
section. The extent of the prevalence of this ore has not yet 
been determined, but is evidently considerable. 

Sweeping past the city on the east is the Coosa River, upon the 
bosom of which float steamers of commerce which ply in both 
directions. In the sections adjacent to the town are many mineral 
springs, which are points of frequent resort. Black Creek Falls, 
but a short distance from Gadsden, are an object of great natural 
wonder. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 93 



Attalla is another town of some importance because of its 
neighboring iron mines. 

Lands may be purchased at prices running all the way up from 
$2.50 to $20. 

There are in the county 4,420 acres of government land. 



dekalb county. 



Wf 



IeKALB county took its name from the famous Baron 
DeKalb. It was constituted in 1836. DeKalb lies in the 
extreme north-eastern corner of the State, and is bounded 
by Georgia on the east, its extreme northern point touching the 
line of the State of Tennessee. It shares largely in the fertile 
lands and mineral deposits, both of which abound in this section 
of Alabama, Its climate, healthfulness, favorableness of location, 
and natural sources of wealth, make it one of the most desirable, 
counties in the State. 

A.rea of the county 740 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 12,625; population in 1890, 21,106.. 
White, 19,897; colored, 1,209. 

Area planted in cotton, 15,870 acres; in corn, 36,671 acres; in 
oats, 7,637 acres; in wheat, 1,646 acres; in rye, 129 acres; in 
tobacco, 86 acres. 

Cotton production — 4,573 bales. 

It will be seen that the population of DeKalb has been almost 
doubled within the last ten years, which serves to indicate quite 
fully the estimate which is placed upon the county by immigrants 
and investors. This is due to the peculiar advantages offered in 
climate, diversity of productions, mineral deposits, and cheapness 
of lands, all of which are chief factors in the prosperity of the 
county. DeKalb county is occupied in great part by the two 
plateaus of Sand and Lookout Mountains. The former of these 
constitutes a high plane, whose surface rocks are those of the 
Coal Measures. These two plateaus, of which that of Sand Moun- 
tain is the greater, are separated by Will's Valley, which cuts 



94 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



entirely across the county from northeast to southwest. This 
valley embraces the most productive lauds of DeKalb. It is here 
that almost all the cotton iu the county is produced. 

The land along the valleys was very highly prized by the first 
settlers of the county, and but little regard was had for that which 
lay along the plateaus. Later, however, the uplands were brought 
into use, and the result of their tillage has been peculiarly grati- 

They are not only cultivated with far less effort, but are found 
to be almost equal in production to the lower soils when assisted 
some with fertilizers. The lands of the county may thus be 
divided in a general way between the dark, stiff soils of the valley 
and the lighter soils of the plateaus. The staple productions are 
<;otton, corn, wheat, oats, rye and sweet potatoes. Grasses and 
clover flourish also, and the attention which is being given their 
production is tending to the improvement of stock. As is true 
throughout this entire section of the State, the lands upon the 
plateaus are those devoted to fruit culture. Apples, pears and 
peaches, and indeed, all fruits grown in the latitude attain per- 
fection. Fruit trees thrive here for many years, and the crop is 
rarely killed or injured by frosts. Perhaps no section of America 
'can display finer specimens of plums than grow in this region. 
The principal timbers of the county are oaks, hickory, cherry and 
short-leaf pines. These exist in sufficient quantities for all do- 
mestic purposes. 

DeKalb county has the amplest water supplies for all purposes. 
Streams of rapid and deep currents afford inducements for the 
erection of machinery, while cool and everlasting springs issue 
from the hills in every section of the county. Lookout Mountain 
plateau is drained by Little Kiver and its tributaries, while Sand 
Mountain is drained by Town Creek and the numerous streams 
which empty into it. Prominent among the streams are Long 
Island, Scarham, Black and South Santa Creeks. 

Near Yalley Head, in Lookout Mountain plateau, are where the 
beautiful falls of Little River occur. They are nearly one hun- 
dred feet in height, with a deep, rocky gorge below them. Iron 
and coal largely prevail in the county. In Will's Yalley there is 
found a superb quality of fire clay, which has become famous. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 95 



It exists also in other parts of DeKalb. The kaolin of the county- 
is very fine. Specimens displayed at the New Orleans Exposition 
took the iirst premium in 1885, and beautiful crockery manufac- 
tured from these porcelain clays was exhibited there. Railroad 
transportation is enjoyed by the people of the county, as the Ala- 
bama Great Southern Railroad penetrates it from northeast to 
southwest. Fort Payne, the county- seat, Collinsville, Lebanon, 
Valley Head and Portersville, are the principal towns of the county. 
The first of these has, of late years, became quite a point for 
manufacturing. 

Public school system is good, and church facilities abound. 

Lands can be secured upon the most reasonable terms possible. 
There are some government lands yet unsettled, being 1800 acres, 
and vast quantities of railroad lands which can be had at a mar- 
velous low rate. In other sections, where land is purchasable, it 
can be had for from |2 to |25 per acre. 

Numbers have availed themselves of the extraordinary induce- 
ments presented in securing public and railroad lauds, and their 
accounts of the advantages here presented to settlers are quite 
flattering. Thrifty immigrants will be greeted with a cordial 
welcome. 



CHEROKEE COUNTY. 

HEROKEE COUNTY derives its name from the Indian 
tribe which formerly inhabited it. The county was con- 

''^ stituted in 1836. It is a border county lying alongside 
Georgia upon the east. Its natural advantages are very great, 
especially those relating to its mineral richness. Its agricultural 
capabilities are also good. Considerable entei'prise has existed 
in the county for many years, and great progress has been made 
jn the development of its resources, as its numerous mining in- 
terests will attest. 

The area of Cherokee is 660 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 19,108; populationin 1890, 20,459. White, 
17,656; colored, 2,803. 



96 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Area planted in cotton, 28,571 acres; in corn, 30,011 acres; in 
oats, 7,334 acres; in wheat, 4,591 acres; in rye, 42 acres; in 
tobacco, 11 acres. 

Cotton Produciion — 11,994 bales. 

There has been a steady influx of population into the county 
which has increased with the years. More and more its numer- 
ous advantages in soil, climate, mineral wealth and location are 
being appreciated. 

The face of the county is generally uneven and sometimes 
mountainous, and like all the counties of this region, the upper 
lands are thin with very fertile valleys lying between. 

The cultivated soils of Cherokee are composed of red and 
brown loams which belong to the caves and valleys, and skirt the 
principal streams. Upon these lands most of the cotton of the 
county is produced. Then along the ridges and hills are found 
the thinner soils, which have a grayish cast and are mixed with 
a flinty gravel. The character of both these classes of lands 
varies very greatly with the different localities. Then there are 
what are called the "flatwoods," which form a considerable belt 
in the county. Though this soil, when analyzed, shows that it 
has fine productive capabilities, it is but rarely cultivated, because 
care has not been taken to drain it. No doubt it can be brought 
into profitable cultivation. Perhaps in no county in the State 
can there be found a greater diversity of soil than in Cherokee. 

The valley lands are almost entirely devoted to the production 
of corn, cotton, wheat and oats. Upon the higher or tablerlands 
are produced excellent fruits, chief among which are apples, 
pears, peaches and plums. Fruit trees are but seldom disturbed 
by frost. With proper care and cultivation orchards growing 
upon these elevated lands become very profitable. The vine is 
cultivated with wonderful success along the mountains. 

Stock raising in Cherokee is on the increase because of the 
revenue derived from the experiments already made. Herbage 
grows with such readiness and in such profusion as to encourage 
the greater production of stock. 

The growth of the forests comprises oaks (of the several varie- 
ties), hickory, chestnut, short and long leaf pines. There is 
quite an extensive prevalence of pine forests in the county, which 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 97 



have given rise to many mills and log yards, which are estab- 
lished at convenient bluffs along the Coosa River, giving employ- 
ment to many laborers. 

In several portions of Cherokee there are extensive and valu- 
able deposits of iron ore, much of which is worked up in the 
furnaces along the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad. 
The following iron works are in successful operation in the county: 
The Stonewall Iron Company, Tecumseh Iron Company, Rock 
Run Furnace, Alabama Iron Company, Cornwall Iron Works, and 
Round Mountain Furnace. There is a fine cotton factory at 
Spring Garden. Rich coal deposits also exist in the county. 

Cherokee has an abundant water supply, being traversed by 
the Coosa, Chattanooga, Yellow and Little Rivers, and Cowan's, 
Ball Play, Wolf, Spring, Terrapin, Yellow and Mill Creeks. All 
these are valuable streams, which are fed by numerous tributaries. 
This is the only county the heart of which is penetrated by the 
beautiful river Coosa. With the exception of Etowah, near whose 
eastern boundary the river runs, it forms the border line of all the 
other counties which it waters. But Cherokee, it divides in 
twain, imparting fertility and beauty from limit to limit of the 
county. The waterways already named have almost without ex- 
ception immense capabilities of water-power adapted to the plant- 
ing of vast enterprises. 

The line between Cherokee and DeKalb counties runs along the 
summit of Lookout Mountain. 

The Broomtown Valley, in the northwest corner of Cherokee, is 
worthy of special mention by reason of its fertility and romantic 
beauty. The grandeur of this section is enhanced by its bold and 
clear streams, which ramify it throughout. 

Transportation is afforded the county by the East Tennessee, 
Virginia & Georgia Railroad, and the Coosa River. 

Center, the county seat, and Cedar Bluff are the leading towns. 
Together with other centers of population, these possess good 
educational and religious advantages. At Gaylesville there is a 
high school of note. 

Lands range in price from $2.50 to $25 per acre. The govern- 
ment owns 1,440 acres of land in Cherokee county. 



98 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



m\ 




CALHOUN COUNTY. 

HIS county was organized in 1832, and named Benton. 
This name it retained until 1858, when it was changed 
to the one it now bears, which was given in honor of the 
great South Carolina statesman. Calhoun has long been 
regarded one of the best agricultural counties in the State. This 
reputation it still enjoys. In addition to this, however, it is now 
regarded one of the leading counties in the fertility of its mineral 
resources. The progress which has been made in Calhoun within 
the last few years has been amazing, and serves to show what 
pluck and energy can achieve when coupled with the requisite 
means of progress. The vast mineral stores which have been 
discovered in the hills and mountains of Calhoun are serving 
greatly to enrich the county, and by their development to benefit 
mankind. Looking at it more in detail we find that Calhoun has 
an area of 640 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 19,591; population in 1890, 33,835. 
White, 23,947; colored, 9,888. 

Area planted in cotton, 29,212 acres; in corn, 26,953 acres; 
in oats, 9,415 acres; in wheat, 3,053 acres; in rye, 13 acres; in 
tobacco, 12 acres. 

Cotton production — 11,504 bales. 

The surface of Calhoun is hilly and uneven, and presents the 
usual characteristics of a mineral region. But the great variety 
of soils only indicates the vast diversity of productions, for the 
county seems capable of producing every plant that grows in the 
Temperate Zone. 

As will be seen from the above statistics, vast quantities of 
land are tilled in the county, and the capacity of its soils may be 
judged from the variety of its productions. In the valleys and 
along the numerous water courses are found the best lands in 
Calhoun; but, while they are capable of a greater yield per acre 
than the higher lands, they are more difficult of cultivation. The 
valley lands are usually chosen for cotton, while the uplands are 
generally devoted to the raising of corn, wheat, oats, rye and 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 99 



Irish and sweet potatoes, which are the staple productions of the 
county. Many minor crops, such as peas and peanuts, are also 
annually produced. 

The finest lands of Calhoun are found in the Alexandria and 
Choccolocco Valleys, which are covered with splendid farms, and 
which support a thrifty and progressive population. 

The forests of Calhoun support pine (both long and short leaf), 
red, black, white, post, turkey and Spanish oaks, hickory, walnut, 
beech, poplar, elm, ash and sweet gum. This fact, coupled with 
that of a vast supply of water in every part of the county, greatly 
enhances it as a place of residence. Through different portions 
of Calhoun there flow the Coosa River and Ohatchee, Cane and 
Choccolocco Creeks. 

The mountain and hill sections abound in the finest springs, 
some of which have water of almost icy coolness. Not least 
among the attracting features of Calhoun county is its fruit pro- 
ducing capacity. Superb orchard fruits are raised in every part 
of the county. Apples, peaches and pears ripen quite readily, 
and as they are but seldom interfered with by frosts, they become 
a source of revenue to fruit growers. Cherries, grapes and plums 
flourish also with the greatest readiness. 

The orefields and limestone deposits of Calhoun county consti- 
tute its chief glory. From present indications these resources 
are practically exhaustless. Both brown and red hematite iron 
ores prevail in every portion of the county. Manganese, marble, 
kaolin, sandstone, barite, bauxite, copper, lead, lithographic stone 
and fire-brick clay are also found. Some of these exist in large 
quantities. 

Considerable attention is given to stock raising. At Alexandria 
Captain Crook has a fine herd of Jerseys. Near Anniston is 
another dairy and stock farm owned by Captain Bush, where the 
finest strains of Jerseys are to be found. 

Anniston. 

This city of 10,000 people is one of the marvellous evidences 
of the spirit of energy and prosperity which has characterized the 
people of Alabama during the last decade. It is located in a 



100 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



beautiful green valley, and is engirdled by a rampart of high 
mountains. Nature seems to have designed the location for just 
such a city as is there being rapidly built. The valley inlets and 
outlets seem the natural gateways for the railroads. No haste 
seems to have been exhibited in building the city, for the streets 
are adorned with architectural elegance, the sidewalks are paved, 
and the broad streets of eighty feet in width are admirably 
graded, macadamized, and guttered with stone. 

Every house is erected with a view to permanence. One of the 
chief objeots of attraction is the Anniston Ian, a magnificent 
hotel, which crowns a slight eminence in the heart of the city. 
It has been built at a cost of $160,000, and is an object of ex- 
ceeding great attraction. In visiting that part of the city occu- 
pied by the operatives, the visitor can not help being impressed 
with the tranquil contentment and happiness which seem every- 
where to prevail. 

Its industries embrace two charcoal and two coke furnaces; 
car works with $1,000,000 capital; rolling mills, |100,000; com- 
press and warehouse, $100,000; pipe works, $300,000; cotton 
mills, $250,000; cordage works, bent wood works, lime works, 
bottling works, boiler shops, machine shops, planing mills, etc. 
$250,000; five banks; land company, $3,000,000; with water 
works, electric lights, costly churches, first-class schools, well 
graded streets, a large general merchandise business, and the 
finest hotel in the State. The capital of the Woodstock Iron 
Company is $3,000,000. 

Jacksonville, the county seat, with a population of 1,237, is alsp 
a most desirable and growing town. Besides its superb social 
advantages, it has excellent churches and superior educational 
privileges. A large Normal school is established here, and it 
deservedly ranks with the largest schools in the State. In the 
surrounding country are many splendid farms. Stock-raising has 
received considerable attention, and is rapidly becoming one of the 
most profitable branches of industry in the county. 

Other points of interest are Oxauna, Oxford, Piedmont, Morris- 
ville, Germania, Choccolocco and White Plains. The county 
ranks among the first in the State in its educational facilities. 
At all the places named there are first-class schools. At Oxford 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 101 



there is a college of considerable repute. Transportation is 
afforded by the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia, Georgia 
Pacific, and Louisville and Nashville Kailroads. Advantages for 
religious worship exist not only in the centers, but throughout 
the county. 

Lands are purchasable at rates quite moderate for so progressive 
a section, where the tendency of real estate is invariably upward. 
Wild lands may be had at $5 to $10 per acre, and cultivated 
farms at $15 to $50 per acre. The climate and healthfulness of 
the county are excellent. 

The constant flow of population into Calhoun sufficiently indi- 
cates the spirit with which immigrants are met. 

There are in the county 7,780 acres of government land, which 
offers additional inducements to immigrants. 



CLEBURNE COUNTY. 



fcSgfTlV HIS county was created in 1866, and named in honor of 
^ffl|| General Patrick R. Cleburne, of Arkansas. Though 
wfl \^ abounding in natural resources, the county is not as fully 
developed as some others in the same region. Since the 
construction of a railroad throughout the county, giving its pro- 
ductions a ready outlet, it is winning to itself a thrifty population, 
and in many ways the merits of Cleburne are coming more and 
more to be recognized and appreciated. Great inducements exist 
in the county for capitalists and immigrants, as its mines are 
stored with rich ores, and its lands abound in fertility. The 
county has an area of 540 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 10,976; population in 1890, 13,218. 
White, 12,437; colored, 791. 

Area planted in cotton, 14,506 acres; in corn, 22,474 acres; 
in oats, 6,099 acres; in wheat, 3,692 acres; in tobacco, 73 acres. 
Cotton Production — 5,389 bales. 

Cleburne has a varied surface. In the northern end of the 
county there are rugged hills and mountains, with intervening 



102 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



valleys of fertility. These valley lands are of a reddish hue, as 
is true of most of the lands of this character, in this and the 
northern portion of Alabama. The lands which lie along the 
ridges are of a light, grayish color. But few of the mountain 
lands have ever been cultivated, as the residents of the county 
have never felt the necessity of leaving the level for the higher 
districts. 

Along the slopes, however, there are good farming lands with 
yellow subsoil. The remainder of the county is covered with 
either red or gray lands, except in the creek and river bottoms, 
where the soil partakes largely of sand. In the western portion 
of the county there is a sparcer population than in any other sec- 
tion, because the lands are regarded as the least fertile. Cleburne 
has many fertile valleys, which are mostly devoted to the produc- 
tion of corn, though some cotton is planted. Along these valley 
stretches are some of the best farms in the county. The lower 
portion of Cleburne abounds in red fertile lands. 

The productions are corn, cotton, wheat and oats, with minor 
crops of great importance. The soils are admirably suited to the 
production of apples and peaches. The clovers and grasses are 
found to thrive with great readiness, and hence, stock-raising is 
gradually receiving more attention. The county has many forests 
of excellent timber, the chief growth of which are white, red and 
Spanish oaks, short and long-leaf pine, walnut, hickory and gum. 
For many years a gold mine has been successfully worked at 
Arbachoochee. The same ore is also found near Hightower. In 
different parts of the county copper, mica, slate, graphites, 
pyrites, zinc and kaolin, are found prevailing. Iron deposits also 
exist. Silver has also been discovered. These await capital in 
order to be properly developed. 

The supplies of water in every portion of Cleburne are unfail- 
ing, as it is penetrated by such streams as the Tallapoosa River, 
and Terrapin, Muscadine, Cane, Shoal, Cahulga, Chulafinnee, 
Dying and Lost Creeks. All these are sustained by numerous 
tributaries, which contribute further to the supply of water. 

The places of greatest importance are Edwardsville, the county- 
seat, Heflin, Arbachoochee and Chulafinnee. 

At Edwardsville there is a High School of local note, and at 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 103 



Heflin there is aa Institute, both of which are well conducted and 
handsomely sustained. Other good schools are found in different 
parts of the county. 

The channels of transportation are, the Georgia Pacific Rail- 
road, and the East and West Railroad — the former a magnificent 
thoroughfare, giving an outlet to each of the cities of Anniston 
and Atlanta. 

The Alabama Land and Mineral Company own about 40,000 
acres of land in Cleburne, which can be purchased at remark- 
ably low figures. Besides these, there is a great deal of gov- 
ernment land in the county still untaken, there being 21,740 
acres. Lands can be purchased from resident owners for from 
$2 to $10 per acre. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



^^feHIS county was created in 1866, and took its name from 
(wl^ the great Kentucky statesman, Henry Clay. Like other 
^^.►i® interior counties in Alabama, the mineral and agricultural 
""^"^^ properties are not as yet fully recognized and appreciated. 
It is remote from lines of transportation and is not as accessible 
as other portions of the State which have won distinction among 
capitalists, and yet are not a whit in advance of Clay. When the 
productive soils, the varied minerals, and the vast water-power of 
the county shall attract public notice, gateways of commerce will 
be opened, and its hills and valleys will teem with a population. 

The area of Clay is 610 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 12,938; population in 1890, 15,765. 
AVhite, 14,001 ; colored, 1,704. 

Area planted in cotton, 20,950 acres; in corn, 26,391 acres; in 
oats, 6,529 acres; in wheat, 2,098 acres; in tobacco, 28 acres; 
rye, 38 acres. 

Cotton production — 8,250 bales. 

Clay county is varied both with respect tD the face of the coun- 
try and the character of the soils. The western portion is a 



104 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



1 



mountainous region with a dark fertile soil. The eastern portion 
has a varied surface with a soil of sandy loam. A mountainous 
ridge penetrates the county from the southwest to the northeast. 
Most of the lands lying adjacent to this ridge are very productive. 
In the northern end of Clay and west of this range is a valley of 
exceedingly rich farming land. The bottom lands which lie 
along the streams which water the county are generally produc- 
tive. A belt of "flatwoods" four or five miles wide is found east 
of the ridge lands. This belt is covered with a mixed growth of 
oaks and pine and has generally a gray and somewhat sandy soil. 
Throughout the county the gray lands are regarded the best for 
farming purposes. 

The bulk of the cotton crop of Clay is raised in the southern 
and eastern parts of the county, because of the superiority of the 
soils. The chief productions are cotton, corn, wheat, oats, and 
sweet potatoes. Orchard and garden fruits also do well. 

The timbers of the county include both short and long-leaf 
pine, with blackjack and other oaks, hickory, sweet gum, walnut, 
poplar, crab apple, persimmon, ash, maple, dogwood, and alder. 
The mountains and hillsides are covered with the heaviest timbers. 
The timber and lumber trade is one of the future industries of 
Clay county. 

Gold, silver, barytes, tin, manganese, pyrites, soapstone, iron, 
copper, copperas, mica, graphite and slate are found in different 
parts of Clay. The Confederate authorities, during the last two 
years of the war, secured much sulphur from the county for the 
manufacture of powder. 

The water-power of the county is immense. The inclination 
of many of the streams is great, imparting a mighty momentum 
to the descending waters. Big Kitchabadarga, Talladega, Hatchet, 
Hillabee HatcSiee, Enitochopka, Condutchkee, Crooked, and Mad 
Indian Creeks are the main streams. The county is abundantly 
supplied, too, with perennial springs of freestone water. 

Ashland, the county seat, with a population of 300, Lineville 
and Delta are the principal points of interest. Excellent schools 
of a high grade are found at all these points. 

There are 3,120 acres of government land in Clay county. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 105 



If purchased now lands can be secured in the county at mar- 
vellously low rates. 

The residents and land owners are anxious for an increased 
population and greater prosperity. While the county possesses 
extensive advantages, as will appear from the foregoing state- 
ments, capital is needed to bring its divers resources into note 
and to prompt the construction of lines of transportation. 

Lands may be purchased as low as $1 per acre, while the most 
improved can be had from $5 to ^15 per acre. 

Those desiring homes may be sure of a cordial welcome in this 
county. 



RANDOLPH COUNTY. 

^IJ^HE county of Randolph was created in 1832, and named 
[M 1^ for the famous John Randolph, of Virginia. Its natural 
^^^ advantages are, in many respects, superior. Its climate is 
^W'-r salubrious, lands good, tone of society elevated, and health 
unsurpassed. It has been styled the "Switzerland of America." 

During th^ census of 1880, the census official of the county 
rendered in his report at Washington, only to have it returned to 
him for correction respecting his mortuary statements, the Wash- 
ington official declaring that the death rate was so low, he sup- 
posed some mistake had been made. The original report was re- 
turned to Washington unchanged, as no error had been com- 
mitted. 

The area^of the county is 610 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 16,575; population in 1890, 17,219. 
White, 13,914; colored, 3,305. 

Area planted in cotton, 28,387 acres; in corn, 27,331 acres; 
in oats, 5,815 acres; in wheat 2,697 acres; in tobacco, 14 acres; 
in rye, 41 acres. 

Cotton Production — About 10,348 bales. 

Though the soils of Randolph are less fertile than those of other 



106 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



regions, it has advantages for the farmer which are not enjoyed in 
counties of superior lands. The soils are of average fertility, and 
on account of deep clay subsoil and abundant rainfall, are quite 
reliable for agricultural purposes. Not more than one-fourth of 
the forests of Randolph have been cleared for purposes of agri- 
culture. The lands of the county are easily tilled, and when aided 
by manures make a handsome return. The chief crops are corn, 
cotton, wheat and oats. Several varieties of grass have been in- 
troduced into the county and the results have been very satisfactory. 
Kedtop and orchard grass thrive with readiness. 

Fruit growing is gradually receiving more attention. The more 
elevated lands of Randolph produce an unfailing crop of peaches, 
there having been but one failure in thirty-five years. The lands 
along the hilly slopes are peculiarly adapted to the production of 
grapes. Indeed, all the fruits and vegetables known to this lati- 
tude grow to perfection in Randolph. The farmers of the county 
are well-to-do, and, for the most part, produce everything for home 
consumption. 

It enjoys railroad advantages with LaFayette and Opelika. In 
gold, copper, mica, tin, graphite and kaolin it is doubtless one of 
the richest counties in the State. All these are found mainly in 
the northern portion of Randolph. The kaolin is of a superior 
quality and is inexhaustible. The main deposit of ore of the 
Stone Hill copper mine is on the Randolph side. The supply of 
mica is considerable and of a superior quality. 

The timbers of the county include pine, oak and hickory, which 
vary with the changing soils. About three-fourths of the county 
are still covered with splendid forests which, in some instances, 
include considerable districts of the yellow or long-leaf pine. 

The East Alabama Railroad has been built to Roanoke, and 
when completed to Anniston, the county of Randolph will be 
traversed by it, and thus will be furnished a valuable line. The 
Atlanta & Atlantic Railroad will also run through it. 

The county is penetrated by the Tallapoosa and Little Talla- 
poosa Rivers, High Pine, Corn House, Fox, Bear, Cat, Nose, 
Piney and Cbillisada Creeks and their numerous tributaries. The 
springs and wells aif ord a superb freestone water which is remark- 
ably cold. The depth and grade of clay in Randolph accounts for 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 107 



the purity of its waters, and the excellent water and salubrious air 
accounts for the wonderful health enjoyed by the inhabitants of 
the county. 

Roanoke, Wedowee, the county seat, and Rock Mills are the 
points of interest. These, as well as other points in the county, 
are well supplied with churches and schools. At both Rock Mills 
and Wedowee there are high schools of merit, while at Roanoke 
is to be fouTid the Roanoke Male and Female College, an institu- 
tion of note in this section of the State. At Rock Mills, an en- 
terprising village, there is a large cotton factory, a tannery, pot- 
tery, and cabinet establishment. 

Lands may be purchased from $2 to $5 per acre. 

The people are fully alive to the importance of immigration and 
are prompted to encourage all seeking homes to consider the 
claims of Randolph. 

There are 3,920 acres of government land in the county. 



CHAMBERS COUNTY. 

CHAMBERS county was created in 1832, and named in 
honor of Hon. Henry Chambers, of Madison county. It is 
H^^ one of the boundary counties on the east, and is separated 
from Georgia by the Chattahoochee River. Area of the county 
610 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 23,440; population in 1890, 26,319; white, 
12,460; colored, 13,859. 

Area planted in cotton, 79,865 acres; in corn, 45,292 acres; 
in oats, 8,262 acres; in wheat, 1,152 acres; in rye, 28 acre; in to- 
bacco, 1 acre. 

Cotlon Production — 27,276 bales. 

The general surface of Chambers is neither mountainous nor 
level, but is rolling. The northwestern portion is pine land with 
gray soil. All the remainder of the county, with but little excep- 
tion, is mulatto soil with red clay subsoil. 

Originally these lands were covered with a growth of oak, hick- 



108 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



ry, chestaut, gam, etc. Professor Toutn^y, late State Geologist 
of Alabama, remarked on one occasion, that there were not forty 
acres of land in the county on which an industrious man would 
fail to make a competent support. 

Chambers is regarded the best average county in Alabama. 
The subsoil is of such character that the surface can be made the 
most productive possible. Nearly every part of the county is 
susceptible of cultivation, and but little difference exists as to the 
capacity for productiveness. The land is red, mulatto or gray. 
The red is better for grain, if no fertilizers are used, and the gray 
is better suited to the production of cotton. The mulatto-colored 
lands are best suited to all crops, and mature their crops earlier. 
While the red lands seem better suited to the growth of grain, a 
considerable proportion of cotton is raised upon them. These 
red lands have from the first been selected by farmers, and it 
rarely occurs that any large areas can now be found which have 
not been put in cultivation. One finds the palatial mansions of 
the typical Southern planter of the long ago, embowering in mag- 
nificent groves of native oak, situated almost invariably in the 
midst of these lands. 

The timbers of Chambers are mostly of oaks, and nowhere on 
the continent can more luxariant groves of red, Spanish, white 
and post oaks be seen than upon the red, rolling lands of this 
county. An occasional belt of yellow or long-leaf pine is 
found. 

The ordinary fruits of this latitude grow in Chambers quite 
readily, but it seems peculiarly suited to the production of 
peaches. Professor Eugene A. Smith, the pi-esent State Geol- 
ogist, is reported to have said that Chambers is the most reliable 
county for the production of peaches that can be found in the 
United States. 

The county is watered chiefly by the Tallapoosa and Chatta- 
hoochee Rivers and their tributaries. 

The mineral resources of the county are, as yet, unknown. 
Only such specimens are found as favor the conjecture that they 
exist. This is true of iron ore. Corundum is found in great 
quantities in Chambers. In the northern part of the county is a 
beautiful soap-stone of gray and blue, which admits of as tine 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 109 



polish as marble. A belt of this beautiful stone extends across 
the county. It is manufactured into monuments and tombstones. 
Granite and graphite also exist. 

Large mills for grinding corn and wheat are found at different 
points in Chambers. There are two cotton factories in the 
county, one near West Point, on the Chattahoochee, and the 
other upon the same stream, but lower down. 

Chambers is favored with three lines of railway — the Western 
Railroad, which is the main line between Montgomery and At- 
lanta, and the Columbus & Western, and the East Alabama & 
Cincinnati Railroad, which terminates, at present, in the county. 

LaFayette, the county seat, with a population of 1,500, Bluff- 
ton, Cusseta, Fredonia and Milltou are places of importance and 
have good educational and religious advantages. There is an 
admirable system of free schools throughout the entire county. 
One of the attractive points in Chambers, and one which illus- 
trates the capability of the soils to produce fruit, is the famous 
Parnell Peach Farm, in the southeastern part of the county. It 
embraces over one thousand acres of fruit trees. The proprietor 
gathers much of his delicious fruit as early as the beginning of 
May, and sends it to remote points, such as New York and Chi- 
cago. Fresh and well-matured peaches command almost fabulous 
prices in these markets at so early a season. The annual income 
of this fruit farm is immense. 

The owner of this farm is a brother of the famous Irishman 
so conspicuous as a defender of his people in the British Par- 
liament. 

Many hundreds of acres of land are lying idle in this county 
awaiting the hands of the tiller. Every disposition exists on the 
part of the residents to induce investors to purchase farms and 
homes and settle in their midst. To those thus coming the most 
reasonable rates will be offered. In some parts of the county 
lands may be purchased from $2 per acre, while the best lands 
will not exceed $10 per acre. Health, climate, superior water, 
excellent soil, the best social advantages, and a warm welcome are 
among the inducements presented to immigrants and investors by 
the people of Chambers county. There are no government lands 
in the county. 



110 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



LEE COUNTY. 

HIS county was establislied in 1866, and named for General 
^1 ^ Robert E. Lee, of Virginia. Highly favored in its location, 
y^jj^ with respect to the markets and transportation, as well as 
in regard to healthfulness, generous soils and educational 
facilities, Lee is a most desirable place of residence. Of these 
numerous advantages we shall have occasion to speak further on- 
Let us look somewhat into the internal resources of the county. 
It has an area of 610 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 27,262; population in 1890, 28,694. White, 
12,197; colored, 16,497. 

Area planted in cotton, 58,447 acres; in corn, 31,112 acres; in 
oats, 9,638 acres; in wheat, 586 acres; in rye, 80 acres. 

Cotton Production — 18,332 bales. 

Lee county is divided into two distinct sections with respect to 
its topography. In the north the surface is hilly, while in the 
south it is more level. 

The several characters of soils are gray, red and sandy. Per- 
haps a little more than one-half of the tillable soil of Lee is 
gray. In other parts there is a distinct predominance of red 
land, while in others again, there is such a blending of the gray 
and red soils as to render it impossible to decide which prevails. 
The gray land is preferred for cotton, while the red lands are 
devoted, usually, to the grains. Crops grow with great readiness, 
and the lands are quite productive, especially when aided with 
fertilizers. 

The character of the soils is such, and the undulation of the 
surface such, too, that farm work may be resumed soon after the 
heaviest rainfall. 

The staple productions of Lee are cotton, corn, wheat, oats, 
sugar cane and sweet potatoes. The generous yield of the soils, 
the ease of cultivation, and the accessibility to market, serve as 
inducements to the planters to raise large quantities of cotton. 
This is consequently the one ruling staple of the county. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. Ill 



Orchard culture is receiviDg greater attention with the advance 
of years. 

Special attention has been devoted to the production of peaches 
and grapes, and with the most gratifying results. Extensive 
orchards and vineyards are now being planted in some parts of the 
county. Greater attention is also being given to the production 
of watermelons, to which the red lands, when fertilized, seem 
peculiarly adapted. The ready growth of this fruit, and the rapid 
transit to several markets in higher latitudes, are serving to stim- 
ulate producers to turn it to pecuniary advantage. 

In Lee county there is an occurrence of white crystalline dolo- 
mite. In appearance it resembles white marble, and may be used 
for hearths, mantels, gravestones and monuments. It produces 
an excellent lime also. Besides this, there are to be found barytes, 
flagging stone, soapstone and granite. The forests abound in 
good timber, including short-leaf pine, the upland oaks, hickory, 
poplar, ash, maple, dogwood, the gums and cherry. 

The streams of the county are the Chattahoochee River, and 
Wacoochee, Naufaba, Songahatchee, Big Hallewackee, White's, 
Wetumpka and Osanippa Creeks. These show a prevalence of 
water throughout the year. In addition to these, there is the 
presence of springs in every part of the county, and sometimes 
there are springs with mineral qualities. Either for plantation or 
domestic consumption, and for all mechanical purposes there is an 
abundant water supply. All the streams on the eastern side of 
the county flow into the Chattahoochee. The western portion is 
drained by the Tallapoosa. 

The transportation facilities of Lee are superior. The Western 
Eailroad of Alabama, the Columbus & Western, and the East 
Alabama and Cincinnati Railroads run through different portions 
of the county. 

Conspicuous among its industries are the Chewacla Limeworks, 
near Youngsboro, on the Columbus & Western Railroad. The 
lime from these works is marketed through the several States of 
Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana. There is 
also a carriage and wagon factory at Opelika, besides other minor 
mechanical industries. 



112 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



The prominent points are Opelika, the county seat, having a 
population of 3,500, Auburn, Salem and Brownville. 

The educational advantages of the county are superior. Opelika 
has two schools of a high order, both for male and female. 
Auburn is the seat of the Agricultural and Mechanical College 
of the State, and good common schools exist throughout the 
county. 

Good lands can be purchased in the county from prices ranging 
from $3 to $15 per acre. 

Purchasers of lands and seekers of homes would be accorded 
every consideration of Lee. 

The county has no government lands. 



TALLAPOOSA COUNTY. 



^^^HE county derives its name from the beautiful river which 

iri 1^ 

^M enters the northwestern portion and traces its course diag- 

?^# onally across it. It is one of the counties of the State the 

resources of which are but measurably known. Its agricultural 

capabilities have been somewhat tested, and in some particulars 

it leads the other counties of the State. Its mineral wealth is 

supposed to be considerable from the indications afforded. To 

these items our attention will now be directed somewhat in detail. 

The county has an area of 810 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 23,401 ; population in 1890, 25,460. White, 
16,951; colored, 8,509. 

Area planted in cotton, 53,119 acres; in corn, 40,899; in oats, 
10,056 acres; in wheat, 1,667 acres; in tobacco, 16 acres; in rye, 
37 acres. 

Cotton production — 20,337 bales. 

The county has two predominating varieties of soils — the red 
and the gray. These soils usually rest upon a subsoil which is 
more or less reddish or yellowish in color. Here, as in the ad- 
joining counties, the red soils are usually best suited to the pro- 
duction of grain. In addition to the prevailing upland soils of 
red and gray there are fertile bottoms, the richness of which has 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 113 



been derived from the wasbiDgs of the neighboring hills. In 
some cases these are the best lands found in the county. These 
lowlands embrace about one-sixth of the entire county. 

The cotton soils of Tallapoosa are the red and gray soils, and 
some of the bottom lands along the river and creeks. 

In addition to these, the loamy lands of the southern end of 
Tallapoosa are much used for the production of cotton. Most 
of the cotton raised in the county is produced in the southern 
sections, because of the prevalence of the soils best adapted to its 
growth. 

Upon the best grain lands are produced from thirty to forty 
bushels of corn per acre. The other chief productions of Talla- 
poosa are oats, wheat, sorghum, sweet potatoes, etc. It leads all 
the other counties in the State in the production of wheat. 

The forests are heavily timbered with white, red and Spanish 
oak, poplar, hickory, pine, ash, mulberry and gum. These valu- 
able timbers will be brought into requisition as the demand grows 
for their use in the mechanical arts. 

The county is watered by the Tallapoosa River and the Hilla- 
bee, Chattasofka, Big Sandy, Little Sandy, Sorgahatchee, Buck, 
Elkehatchee, Blue, Winn and Emuckfaw Greeks. Immense 
water-power prevails in every section of the county and upon all 
the principal streams, notably upon Big Sandy and Hillabee. 
The incline planes over which the vast volumes of water are pre- 
cipitated give them immense power for manufacturing purposes. 
In the southern end of the county are the famous Tallapoosa 
Great Falls, which possess the greatest water-power in the State. 
The water rushes along a steep declivity for two hundred yards, 
the inclination being fifty-three feet. The power is estimated at 
thirty-thousand-horse. Adjacent to the falls are vast quantities 
of granite rock, while immense forests of yellow pine timber ex- 
tend backward into the interior for many miles. All indications 
point to this wonderful locality as one of the future centers of 
Southern manufacture. The famous Tallassee Cotton Mills are 
located upon the western side of the river, in the county of 
Elmore. 

The minerals of Tallapoosa are numerous and abundant, and 



114 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



the indications are that they will soon prove immensely valuable 
to the couniy. There have been some rich finds of gold, even 
of late, in Tallapoosa. In the Terrell Mine, at Log Pit and 
Ely Pit, considerable quantities of gold are dug. Near Dade- 
ville has been discovered gold which promises to yield abund- 
antly. Silver has been discovered, but the extent of its preval- 
ence is not known. 

Near Dudleyville there are outcroppings of superior mica. 
Plates have been picked up fully eight inches square. Graphite 
is also found. Asbestos and emery exist in different sections of 
the county, and in some quarters asbestos, particularly, is found 
to be abundant. Through Dudleyville and Dadeville there passes 
a broad belt of magnesian rocks, chiefly soapstone; this prevails 
in immense quantities. Flagging stone also prevails. 

The chief towns are Dadeville, the county seat, with a popula- 
tion of 1,500; Dudleyville, Alexander City, Camp Hill and Davis- 
ton. 

At each of the towns of Dadeville, Camp Hill, Daviston, Alex- 
ander City and Hackney ville there is a high school, with good 
common school facilities existing throughout the county. A 
moral and religious sentiment prevails, which finds expression in 
good Sunday Schools and numerous churches of the various de- 
nominations. 

A channel of transportation exists by reason of the completion 
of the Columbus & Western Eailroad to Birmingham. This gives 
an outlet in both directions — to the principal cities of the East 
and West. 

Good lands may be purchased in the county at prices ranging 
from $3 to 312 per acre. Immigration is earnestly desired by 
the residents of the county. 

Tallapoosa county contains 580 acres of government land. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 115 



COOSA COUNTY. 




J^ HE county of Coosa derives its name from the beautiful 
# river of the same name which forms its western bound- 



ary. In admiration of the sparkling water of the stream, 
the Indians named it rippling, which is the translation 
of Coosa, The county was organized in 1832. It partakes largely 
of the characteristics which prevail in the adjoining counties. 
Both as a mineral and agricultural county, Coosa is greatly 
favored. 

It has an area of 670 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 15,113; population in 1890, 15,006. White, 
10,552; colored, 5,354. 

Area planted in cotton, 28,698 acres; in corn, 27,103 acres; in 
oats, 8,882 acres; in wheat, 1,152 acres; in tobacco, 40 acres; in 
rye, 14 acres. 

Cotton production — 10,141 bales. 

The face of the county is uneven, being diversified with precip- 
itous hills, deep valleys, beautiful terraces, with broad districts of 
undulating surface. The character of the soil is varied. The 
dominating lands are the red and gray, with occasional belts of 
thinner soils, which are mostly found along the hills and ridges. 
There are also many broad and beautiful valleys in the county, 
the productiveness of which exceeds that of any other land. Upon 
the lands Avhich skirt the streams are found the splendid cotton 
fields of Coosa, as well as upon the best red and gray uplands. 
These valleys have a considerable depth of rich soil, mixed with 
vegetable matter — the accumulation of ages. The principal crops 
are cotton, corn, oats, wheat, sweet potatoes and sorghum. The 
three crops first named grow to rank luxuriance when planted 
upon lands favorable to tbeir production. The soil is capable of 
producing valuable grasses, and the fine stock in which the county 
abounds shows what may be accomplished in this branch of in- 
dustry. 

Near the center of the county, between two of its principal 
streams, are found many high ridges which are clad in the noblest 



116 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Bpecimens of yellow or long-leaf pine. This district of valuable 
timber extende to the Talladega line. The other timbers com- 
prise several kinds of oak and hickory, together with occasional 
patches of short-leaf pine. 

Embosomed in the numerous high hills, already mentioned, 
which prevail between Weoguff ka and Hatchet Creeks, are depos- 
its of iron ore which seem inexhaustible. A granite belt of value 
exists between the towns of Bradford and Oxford. Tantalite, 
copper, tin, asbestos, emery, soapstone, corundum, kaolin, with 
traces of gold and silver, are also found. Mica also abounds. 

At Kellyton is a thriving cotton mill, known as the Bradford 
Factory. Water-power is abundant in the multitude of streams 
that flow through Coosa, chief among which are Coosa River, 
Hallet, WeogujBPka, and Paint Creeks. Rockford, Kellyton, Brad- 
ford, Nixburg and Goodwater are the principal towns. The 
Columbus and Western Railroad has been extended to Birming- 
ham. The Anniston and Atlantic Railroad is being built to 
Goodwater. 

School and religious facilities abound throughout the county, 
and at several of the towns named are schools of more than ordi- 
nary grade. The people are hospitable, and favorably disposed 
toward strangers seeking homes in their midst. 

Lands vary in price from ^2 to $12 per acre, their value de- 
pending upon their grade and location. Coosa is a county of 
radiant promise, and, when its internal wealth shall be known, it 
will be brought up alongside the most progressive counties in the 
State. It deserves high consideration at the hands of those 
seeking a favorable location for settlement. In the county are 
found 4,000 acres of government land awaiting occupatiou. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 117 



CHILTON COUNTY. 

HEN this county was orgauized in 1868 it was called 
yZ/S^W^ Baker, .which name it retaiued until 1875, when in honor 
»tt^ of Judge W. P. Chilton it received its present designation. 
Chilton occupies the geographical center of the State. Wonder- 
ful advances have been made in the industries of the county 
within the last few years. From 1870 to 1880 the popula- 
tion of Chilton was almost doubled. It has an area of 700 
square miles. 

Population in 1880, 10,793; population in 1890, 14,549. 
White, 11,483; colored, 3,066. 

Area planted in cotton, 15,950 acres; in corn, 18,076 acres; 
in oats, 3,990 acres; in wheat, 306 acres; in rye, 10 acres; in 
tobacco, 19 acres. 

Cotton Production — 6,233 bales. 

Chilton is varied both with respect to the face of the country 
and the character of the lands. In the eastern portion there is a 
high ridge which forms the watershed between the Coosa and 
Alabama Rivers. Along the southern border of the county the 
surface is uneven. This irregularity of the face of the county 
extends northward for some distance. 

The soils vary from the rich brown and red loam lands to the 
most sterile. In the western portion of the county, and especially 
in the regions lying contiguous to Mulberry Creek and its tribu- 
taries, are found the best agricultural lands. It is here that the 
population is denser than elsewhere in Chilton. This is emphati- 
cally the farming section of the county. On the opposite side (the 
eastern) of the county are found altogether a different class of in- 
dustries. Extensive pine forests are a prevailing feature here. 
They are spread over the knolls and hills which hold within their 
bosoms deposits of minerals. To what extent these minerals exist 
has not yet been discovered. Professor Eugene A. Smith, State 
Geologist, affirms that there is a greater variety of minerals in 
Chilton than in any other county in Alabama. He did not think, 
however, that they were, in any instance, abundant. They consist 



118 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



of mica, graphite, iron, copper, silver and gold. Copper and gold 
mines have been operated with some success. 

The timber resources o£ Chilton are very extensive as is indi- 
cated by the fact that there are twenty-nine saw mills in the county. 
These comprise some of the largest mills and lumber industries in 
the State. Many of these are found along the line of the Louis- 
ville & Nashville Railroad. It will be inferred from the foregoing 
that the forests of Chilton are composed almost entirely of the 
yellow or long-leaf pine. 

As the timber is cleared off these lands, they are brought 
into cultivation and yield readily in response to proper fertilizing. 
Corn, cotton, oats, wheat and rice are the principal crops. The 
cultivation of rice for market has been undertaken within the last 
few years with the most gratifying results. It will ultimately 
prove a source of great revenue to the couaty. It has been 
tested in the refineries of New Orleans and pronounced equal to 
the best grades produced upon the famous rice plantations of 
South Carolina. 

Advantages for the shipment of products to distant markets are 
afforded by the splendid line of the Louisville & Nashville Rail- 
road, which passes directly through the heart of the county. The 
East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad also passes through 
the county. 

There is no lack of water, as the county is drained by the Little 
Cahaba and Coosa Rivers, and Chestnut, Swift, Big and Little 
Mulberry, and Blue Creeks. 

The places of the greatest importance are Clantou, the county- 
seat, with a population of 600, Verbena, Maplesville, and Moun- 
tain Creek. Two of these points — Verbena and Mountain Creek 
• — have become somewhat noted as summer resorts. At the for- 
mer place an elegant hotel has been erectad, both for summer and 
winter boarders; while at the latter point neat cabins of summer 
visitors dot the slopes and crown the high ridges. Families from 
Montgomery and neighboring towns have established these taste- 
ful retreats in order that they may find a pleasant refuge from 
the heat and dust of the city. Both these points are growing in 
popularity as places of summer resort. 

Good schools are found at every center of interest in the county. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 119 



At Clanton and Verbena the schools are of high grade and the 
moral inflaences good. Churches of different denominations also 
abound. 

Immigrants or investors desiring to purchase lands in this county 
may obtain them for prices ranging from $1 to $15 per acre. 
Knowing how much depends upon an increased population of 
thrifty habits, the people of this county are eager to encourage 
such to establish homes in their midst. 

Chilton county embraces 3,320 acres of land belonging to the 
general government. 




TUSCALOOSA COUNTY. 

HE county of Tuscaloosa was organized in 1818. It is 
called from the Indian name of its principal stream. 
It is one of the most noted counties of the State, its prin- 
cipal city having once been the capital of Alabama, and 
being now the seat of the State University, the Insane Asylum, 
as well as that of a number of female schools of distinction. 

The elements of wealth of Tuscaloosa county are varied. There 
is a great variety of soils as well as productions, and the county has 
considerable wealth of minerals. 

It has an area of 1,390 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 24,957; population iu 1890, 30,352. White, 
18,261; colored, 12,091. 

Area planted in cotton, 39,437 acres; ia corn, 37,640 acres; in 
oats, 7,090 acres; in wheat, 13 acres; in rye, 27 acres; in tobacco, 
6 acres. 

Cotton Production — 13,008 bales. 

These estimates are taken from the last national census 
report. 

Throughout the county of Tuscaloosa, the surface is hilly and 
broken. This irregularity prevails more in some quarters than in 
others, perhaps, but this is the general rule. The lands vary 



120 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



greatly in their fertility. In the eastern, northeastern and north- 
ern parts of the county, there are but few lands of any great value 
for purposes of cultivation. The soil is sandy, though there are 
districts where the land is found quite productive. Fertilizers, 
judiciously used, would make even the most unpromising soils, in 
these sections of the county, productive. Through the center 
of Tuscaloosa, and in the western and southern portions, the most 
valuable and remunerative soils are found. The lands most 
esteemed by farmers are those lying along the streams. These 
bottoms are, in some sections, very narrow, but are almost invari- 
ably fertile. The best lands for planting lie along the Warrior 
Biver in the lower portion of the county. After this river sweeps 
past the city of Tuscaloosa, the bottoms begin to broaden, and 




STATE UAl\Ei;^lTY. 
have long been in cultivation. In this section are found some of 
the most inviting farms in the State. Both corn and cotton yield 
quite abundantly. The greater part of the cotton crop of Tusca- 
loosa county is raised upon the valley lands. It must not be in- 
ferred from the foregoing that the productive soils are restricted 
to the basins of the county. Such is not the fact. There is a 
large quantity of upland soil which is much prized for its pro- 
ductive capabilities. It is estimated that fully one-half of the 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 121 



tillable soils of Tuscaloosa county are devoted to the production of 
cotton. Corn, oats, peas, rye, and sorghum, grow with great 
readiness. Grasses and clovers grow splendidly when cultivated. 
Through the forests and upon the old fields and castaway lands, 
there is, during three-fourths of the year, a sward of native clovers 
and grasses, which afford excellent pasturage facilities to stock. 
This, taken in connection with the fact that the county is remark- 
ably well watered, especially in such sections as where the best 
herbage springs, indicates the favorableness of this section to 
stock-raising. Appreciating the fact, many of the inhabitants 
are already engaged in this lucrative branch of industry. 

The forests of the county are stocked with yellow or long-leaf 
pine, which grows abundantly and at great height; the beech, 
white, red, blackjack, and Spanish oaks, sweet gum, poplar, elm, 
hichory, bay, cherry, and Cottonwood. There are many saw-mills 
in the county devoted to the manufacture of lumber. The numer- 
ous streams which flow through these immense forests usually 
have considerable fall, and afford many valuable seats for mills 
and other similar enterprises. The water-power of the county is 
immense. The mineral wealth of the county, though largely un- 
developed, is great. It has been estimated that nearly, if not 
quite, five-sevenths of the total area of the county contains coal. 
The quality of the coal is good. The coal measures of this county 
are regarded the thickest of the Warrior coalfield, and, indeed, 
the thickest known to exist in the world. Nothing more than a 
bare mention can be made here of the extensive mineral wealth 
of the county. To those interested in the examination of the 
matter, reference is made to the accurate report of Professor 
Henry McOalley, assistant State geologist, on the Warrior coal- 
field. It is published under the auspices of the State, and is for 
gratuitious distribution. Flagging stone and maganese are 
found in the county. Transportation is secured through the Ala- 
bama Great Southern Hailroad and the Warrior river. The 
former of these furnishes commercial facilities to New Orleans 
and Cincinnati, and the latter opens up a natural highway to the 
gulf. The new Railroad from Mobile to the Tennessee River is 
expected to run through this county. The Alabama Midland 
will also be built soon to the city of Tuscaloosa. These, together 



122 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



with the natural advantages, render Tuscaloosa an inviting point 
for residence. 

As has already been intimated, the water supply of the county 
is exhaustless. The streams are the Black Warrior, Sipsey, and 
North Eivers; and Valley, Yellow, Grant's Rock Castle, Wolf, 
Shoal, Davis, and Big Sandy Creeks. Several of these penetrate 
large districts of heavy, valuable timber. In the low places, 
usually along the creeks, are found dense brakes of wild cane, 
which is greatly relished by stock. Fruit of several varieties 
abound throughout the county. Chief among these are apples, 
peaches, pears, plums, cherries, and strawberries. There are 



1 




Hamilton Hall of Southern University. 
several thriving industries in the county, among which may be 
named the Tuscaloosa Cotton Mills, at Cottondale ; and the Tus- 
caloosa Cotton Factory, the iron foundry, and the cotton- seed oil 
mills, near the city of Tuscaloosa. Other industries are in con- 
templation. 

The points of interest in the county are Tuscaloosa, the county- 
seat, with a population of 6,000; Northport, Cottondale, and 
Fosters. 

Tuscaloosa is one of the most inviting points in the State, both 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 123 

as a place of residence and as a manufacturing location. Its 
proximity to the great mineral fields, and its location at the head 
of navigation on the Warrior, give it decided advantage as a man- 
ufacturing point. 

For many years it has been the seat of the University of Ala- 
bama, one of the most distinguished literary institutions of the 
South. Institutions for female education also exist. The city 
has long been noted for its beauty, its broad streets, shaded by 
the native water-oak ; its handsome churches, superb school build- 
ings and attractive residences. In social culture, it is the peer of 
any Southern city. Its location is favorable to the planting of 
industrial enterprises. Just beyond its limit is the falls of the 
Warrior River, which, by reason of their immense power, are ad- 
mirably suited to the location of manufactories. Surrounded by 
so many elements of natural wealth, and possessing a healthful- 
ness of location, the city of Tuscaloosa is destined to great prom- 
inence in the future. It is located at the head of navigation of 
the Warrior River, and enjoys commercial relations with Mobile 
through a line of steamers. 

Recently the city of Tuscaloosa has experienced a great material 
development. Many manufactories have been established, a 
superb hotel has been built, a large number of handsome homes 
have been established, street car and dummy lines put into suc- 
cessful operation, waterworks and electric plants secured, and a 
large ice factory has been built. The indications are that several 
other railroads will be extended to Tuscaloosa. Indeed, one im- 
portant line, the Memphis, Montgomery & Tuscaloosa Railroad, 
is now being pushed rapidly toward completion. Work has been 
begun at both ends of the route. A road is also being constructed 
southward across important mineral fields from Bessemer. The 
object of this line is to cross the Alabama Great Southern and 
reach the Louisville & Nashville. 

An iron bridge spans the river in the northwestern part of the 
city, and unites it with the thrifty town of Northport, beyond the 
Warrior. Lands are variously estimated in different portions of 
the county, and range from $2 to $25 per acre. 

Within the limits of the county are 60,240 acres of government 
land. 



124 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



BIBB COUNTY. 

|HE county of Bibb was established in 1818 and called by 
the name of Cahaba. Two years later it was changed to 
that of Bibb, in honor of William W. Bibb, the first Gov- 
ernor of the State. 

In some respects Bibb is a most remarkable county, combining 
in a wonderful manner many elements of wealth, and in great 
profusion. In minerals it ranks among the foremost counties of 
Alabama. Its timbers are varied and of superior character, while 
its lands yield splendidly, and its healthfulness is superior. No 
one can read an accurate description of Bibb without beino- im- 
pressed with its intrinsic greatness. Its area embraces 610 square 
miles. 

Population in 1880, 9,487; population in 1890, 13,824. 
White, 9,080; colored, 4,744. 

Area planted in cotton, 15,098 acres; in corn, 19,448 acres; 
in oats, 3,441 acres; in wheat, 27 acres; in rye, 7 acres; in tobacco, 
5 acres. 

Cotton Production — 5,216 bales. 

In the main, the face of the country in Bibb is broken. There 
are, however, many portions of the country which are gently roll- 
ing, in which agriculture is prosecuted with gratifying success. 
There is no lack of fertility in the soil. Along the river bottoms 
there are vast areas of the most level and fertile lands. In some 
cases they have been in cultivation nearly half a century, and yet 
the yield of forty bushels to the acre is not at all unusual. Lying 
along the Cahaba Eiver there are lands which yield a bale of cot- 
ton to the acre. Even along the high ridges where the tallest 
pines grow, the land is usually of good quality. Many of the 
best farming lands are found between the center and northeastern 
corner of the county. The soils are" red, buflp, and grey. Of 
these prevailing varieties throughout the county, the red lands 
are superior in feitility, and are usually chosen by planters for 
grain, while the gray and brown soils are devoted to the produc- 
tion of cotton. In the southern half of the county the lands are 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 125 



both red and brown and seem most eagerly sought by planters 
because of the conjunction of these cotton and grain soils. 

Here are consequently found many excellent lands for farms. 
Perhaps the greater part of the cotton produced in the county is 
grown upon the brown loam lands. Cotton, grain, and the escu- 
lents grow with equal readiness, the principal crops being cotton, 
corn, oats, wheat, rye, sugar-cane, sweet potatoes, I'ice and field 
peas. Herbage of different varieties flourishes, as is attested by 
the superior stock with which one meets in every part of the 
county. Some of the finest horses and best milch cows in the 
State are found in Bibb. With proper facilities stock-raising 
could be made quite a lucrative branch of business. 

The numerous hill and ridge ranges in the county are full of 
iron, coal, marble, and limestone. All these exist in great and 
varied abundance. The iron ores are not surpassed for purity by 
any others in the State. They are principally brown hemitite. 
Taken in connection with the fact that adjaceut to these vast de- 
posits of iron lie the famous Cahaba coalfields, and one can readily 
see the elements of a colossal prosperity which are possessed by 
the county of Bibb. The whole northern portion of the county 
is one solid domain of splendid coal. An additional advantage ia 
suggested by the proximity of these minerals to the Alabama 
River, where they can be readily loaded upon barges and floated 
to the Gulf of Mexico. Or, else, large barges could be floated 
down the Cahaba River, if it were cleared of its barriers, and 
thence upon the broad bosom of the Alabama. Thus the county 
is highly favored in the possession of these vast resurces of min- 
erals, as it is in possessing facilities for cheap transportation to 
the Southern seas, and thence to the regions beyond. For several 
years the enterprising citizens of Selma have been contemplating 
the construction of a line of communication with these extensive 
natural deposits of coal and iron, and with the deep water trans- 
portation afforded in that direction, these elements of mineral 
wealth will no doubt seek that route to the sea. 

The limestone and marble deposits of the county are certainly 
wonderful. Along precipitous hillsides there are solid walls of 
these valuable stones, revealing in some instances a height of fully 
fifty feet. This is a common occurrence along both the Little 



126 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



and Big Cahaba Eivers. In addition to this, great bowlders of 
limestone as large as cottages lie along the face of the country. 
These deposits, both of marble and limestone, may be quarried 
with great ease and slight expense. These mammoth quarries of 
limestone and marble are in close proximity to the deposits of 
iron and coal. The quantities of these natural elements of 
wealth — coal, iron, marble, and limestone — seem to be inexhaus- 
tible. The county also contains manganese, barytes, and ochre. 
Standing in immediate connection with these are the forests of 
the county, which embrace all the hard woods, such as the several 
species of oak, poplar, elm, beech, gum, maple, and pine. Vast 
bodies of first-class timber oftentimes overspread the mineral 
treasures which are hidden beneath. 

The country is not excelled in the abundance and excellence of 
its water. Magnificent springs of the purest limestone gush forth 
unceasingly and in the greatest quantities from the rugged hills 
•which abound. Again, in other sections, there are immense 
springs of freestone. Large portions of the population use ^ater 
from these numerous and perpetual springs. 

The streams are : The Cahaba and Little Cahaba Rivers, and 
Shade's, Sandy, Blue Cat, Haysoppy, Afonce, Mahan's, Hill's and 
Shoultz Creeks. These possess immense water-power. In addi- 
tion to its deep and rapid current, Shoultz Creek is bordered 
sometimes by limestone banks which rise as high as seventy-five 
feet. The inclination and pitch of all these streams suggest the 
ease with which they might be employed in connection with the 
mechanical arts. Many of the streams of Bibb wend their way 
through high ramparts of marble and limestone. 

There are five extensive public industries in Bibb, viz : The 
Brierfield Coal and Coke Works, and the nail factory, foundry 
and furnace at Brierfield, and the establishment of the Cahaba 
Coal and Coke Company in the western part of the county. 

The East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad penetrates 
the eastern portion of the county, furnishing transportation to the 
inhabitants of that section, while those further west resort to the 
Alabama Gieat Southern Railroad, as it touches the county in 
that direction. There is a short line operated from Woodstock, 
on the Alabama Great Southern, to Blocton, where thrive some 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 127 



of the greatest industries in central Alabama. The Birmingham 
Mineral Railroad also runs through the county. 

A line of great value is the Mobile & Birmingham. The pur- 
pose of the proprietors of this line is to have it ultimately to pen- 
etrate the heart of the two great coal regions of Alabama — The 
Warrior and the Oahaba Coalfields. When completed, this will 
develop the resources of Bibb as nothing else can. The other 
railroads which touch the county now barely skirt around the 
edge of the famous Cahaba Coalfield ; this road will strike through 
its center. 

The places of greatest importance are Centreville, the county- 
seat, with a population of several hundred ; Scottsville, Six Mile, 
Blocton, Randolph, Gr^enpond, and Brierfield. These are favored 
with educational and religious advantages. At Centreville, ISix 
Mile, and Greenpoud there are schools of high merit. As in 
every other county in the State, there is a common school system 
which reaches every precinct and apolies to all classes of popula- 
tion in the county. 

The value of lands will depend upon their improvement, loca- 
tion, topography, and nearness to railroads. They may be pur- 
chased for $2.50 per acre, and will range from this to $20 per 
acre. The eyes of capitalists are being eagerly turned to this 
county, and the salable lands are being rapidly taken up. In 
view of the advantages already possessed by the county, 
coupled with those that are destined soon to be secured, no sec- 
tion of the State affords rarer advantages to those seeking locations 
for future homes, or for capitalists seeking a profitable outlay of 
money. 

Government land to the extent of 2,880 acres are embraced in 
the county. 



128 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



FAYETTE COUNTY. 

^REATED in 1824, the county was named for General La- 
Fayette, of Revolutionary fame. It is in that part of the 
State which has been most lavishly endowed by nature with 
all that makes a section great, but is comparatively unknown, 
because of the non-existence previously of railroads. This barrier 
is now removed, as the Georgia Pacific Railway, and Kansas 
City, Memphis & Birmingham Railroad, penetrate the county, 
the one crossing from east to west on the south side and the other 
from east to west on the north side. 

Fayette has an area of 660 square miles. 
' Population in 1880, 10,135; population in 1890, 12,823. 
White, 11,141; colored, 1,682. 

Area planted in cotton, 18,670 acres; in corn, 25,666 acres; in 
oats, 4,604 acres; in wheat, 217 acres; in rye, 55 acres; in 
tobacco, 15 acres. 

Cotlon production — 6,141 bales. 

Fayette county is a fine average upland region, diversified with 
hills and valleys, in the midst of which are found perpetual streams. 
Its climate possesses all the brace and vigor which characterize a 
region of health. The soils of Fayette are much above the aver- 
age in fertility. The uplands are covered generally with oak, 
which sufiiciently indicates that they are prolific. The valley 
lands, which follow along the many streams which flow through 
the county are generally very rich. The prevailing and most im- 
portant soil of Fayette, is that of a brown loam, with red clay 
subsoil. There are other lands which are thinner and less fertile. 
There are several noted valley regions in the county, among which 
may be named the Sipsey Valley, which is about thirty miles 
long, and two or three wide; the Luxapalila Valley, which is very 
much like the Sipsey in area and fertility; the North River 
Valley, which is about twenty miles in length, and one wide. 

These lands produce a great diversity of crops, among which 
may be named cotton, corn, wheat, oats, rye, sorghum and sugar- 
cane. Large quantities of productions of minor crops are also 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 129 



made, such as cow-peas, peanuts, tobacco and pumpkins. The 
fruits for which the county is adapted, are apples and peaches. 
Orchards of these fruits grow quite vigorously, and produce 
abundantly. Greater attention is now being given them than 
ever before. 

The undulating lands of Fayette, where they have not been 
brought into cultivation, are covered over with forests of post, 
red and black-jack oaks, chestnut, and short-leaf pines. A suffi- 
ciency of timber exists for all practical purposes. 

In addition to the agricultural productions already named, may 
be mentioned the fact that attention in several quarters is now 
being turned to the cultivation of grasses. Since the formation 
of the county, stock has been abundant and of excellent quality. 
During the war the county of Fayette furnished many beef cattle 
to the armies of the Confederacy. Large numbers of beeves are 
annually shipped from the county to distant markets. Wool- 
growing is rapidly developing into a profitable industry. 

But the dominant feature of Fayette is its wealth of minerals. 
Iron and coal are widely diffused over the county. These exist all 
along the eastern portion of the county, and also in the northern 
part, while in the western section is found a vast abundance of 
iron; gold and red ochre also exist. In addition to these, there 
exist mammoth quarries of valuable building stone. 

All these have been but slightly developed because of absence 
of transportation. 

The water-power of Fayette is immense. The inclination of 
the streams is generally such as to make them valuable as sources 
of machinery power. As far as these powerful streams could be 
^itilized, they have been by the residents, who have erected 
numerous mills upon them, which are devoted to the manufacture 
of lumber. 

The most important streams are Luxapalila, Sipsey and North 
Rivers, and Lost, Cane, Wolf, Yellow and Hell's Creeks. These 
through their tributaries, reach every portion of Fayette. 

In some parts of the county are found many chalybeate and 
sulphur springs. 

Not until of late have the numerous diversities of wealth been 
recognized in Fayette. 



130 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Both the Georgia Pacific and Kansas City, Memphis & Bir- 
mingham roads are now constructed, and they have infused new 
life and are evoking from their slumbering places the immense 
deposits of ore known to exist in the county. The Montgomery 
& Tuskaloosa Railroad will bisect the county from southeast to 
northwest. 

The chief point of interest in the county is Fayette C. H. It 
has a population of several hundred and possesses good schools, 
churches, and an intelligent and moral society. The new court 
house erected in 1 892 is located at the Ga. Pac. R. R. depot, one 
mile south of the old C. H, in one of the prettiest valleys of the 
beautiful Sipsey; the prettiest town in West Alabama, is rapidly 
building up around the new C. H. at the new site. This town is 
destined in no distant day to become a manufacturing centre of 
more than average importance. 

No more alluring field for enterprises and investments can be 
found within the limits of the State. 

Land is generally quite cheap, selling for from $2 to $20 per 
acre. 

There are in the county as yet untaken, 18,200 acres of public 
or government land. These lands ,are said to embrace some of 
the richest mineral districts in the county. 

Plans are on foot to secure immigration to the county on the 
most inviting terms. 



LAMAR COUNTY. 



jSOTfl^ HIS county was formed in 1866, and named Jones ; in 

Ijof 11 1868 the name was changed to that of Sandford, and in 

dTt J 1877 its present designation was adopted. Remote from 

transportation, the county of Lamar has been placed at 

great disadvantage, notwithstanding its rich stores of mineral and 

the productiveness of its soils. It covers an are of 550 square 

miles. 

Population in 1880, 12,142; population in 1890, 14,187. 
White, 12,439; colored, 2,748. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 131 



Area planted in cotton, 20,716 acres; in corn, 25,881 acres; 
in oats, 5,419 acres; in wheat 319 acres; in rye, 49 acres; in 
tobacco, 5 acres. 

Cotton Production — 6,998 bales. 

Like the most of this section of Alabama, the surface of Lamar 
is hilly and unbroken, with many productive valleys. The soil 
along the oak uplands is superior, while that along the pebbly 
ridges is barren. The general character of the soils of Lamar is 
that of red loam. The best lands in the county are those found 
along the uplands, or table-lands, and those along the banks of 
the streams. But there is a mixture of sand in all the lands of 
the county. The soil is easily tilled under all circumstances. 

The chief productions of the county are cotton, corn, wheat, 
and oats. Sorghum and sugar-cane are being extensively culti- 
vated. The timber interests are assuming larger proportions 
every year. Nearly, or quite one-half, of the tilled lands of 
Lamar are devoted to the production of cotton. Grasses grow 
here spontaneously, and afford rich pasturage for stock. Better 
grasses are cultivated, and much attention is devoted to stock- 
raising, and, with commercial outlets, this would be one of the 
chief industries of the county. The forests of Lamar are heavily 
timbered with short-leaf pine, the various species of oak, hickory, 
ash, chestnut, and sassafras. It is one of the best fruit producing 
counties in the State. 

The drainage of Lamar is secured through Buttahatchie River 
and Luxapalila, Beaver, Coal Fire, and Yellow Creeks, all of 
which have long branches or tributaries. Along these streams 
flourishing lumber and flour mills are met with. The River and 
Creeks are finely suited to machinery by reason of their immense 
water-power. 

The mineral products of the county are iron, coal, and valuable 
stones for building purposes. 

The county now enjoys railroad transportation since the passage 
of the Georgia Pacific and the Kansas City, Memphis & Birming- 
ham through its territory. The completion of these great lines 
has greatly facilitated the development of the county. 

Vernon, Sulligent, Crews, Kennedy and Millport are towns of 
local importance, the first mentioned being the county-seat. 



132 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Schools and churches are found in every part of the county. 
Vernon, Crews and Millport have chartered schools. The Vernon 
Institute was established about 20 years ago, and has flourished 
from the beginning. The Crews Normal College and the Farmer's 
College at Millport are much younger, but are quite capable. A 
good school exists also at Sulligent. 

Immigrants desiring cheap lands will do well to examine the 
merits of the lands of this county. It has a quantity of public or 
government land. The prices of land vary from $2 to $8 or $10 
per acre. 

Because of its climate, healthfulness, mineral resources, and 
location, Lamar will, one day, be one of the most progressive re- 
gions of Alabama. It contains 360 acres of government land. 



THE COTTON BELT. 



3*«i»:i±iJii uotton, or JOiacK nen oi Aiaoama lies ciireciiy s 
(O ^ *^® great Mineral Belt of the State. It extends fr( 
^^,ig to west — from limit to limit of the State — and er 
*^!«^/^ Rpvftiifeen nonn ties, viz : Pif^kens. Sumter. Choctaw. < 



|HE Cotton, or Black Belt of Alabama lies directly south of 

I'om east 
embraces 
^^^'W"'*^ seventeen counties, viz: Pickens, Sumter, Choctaw, Greene, 
Hale, Marengo, Perry, Dallas, Wilcox, Autauga, Lowndes, El- 
more, Montgomery, Macon, Bullock, Russell and Barbour. It 
covers an area of 13,610 square miles, being a little more than 
one-fourth of the entire State. The surface of this section is 
mostly rollingf prairie and of great fertility, being unexcelled by 
any soil in the American Union. 

The soil in the richer portions is very black, or of a dark color, 
and contains a great deal of lime. The broad prairies are broken 
here and there by considerable districts of timber, embracing the 
pine, different varieties of oak, hickory, gum, beech, maple, and 
magnolia. This Belt is highly favored in transportation, as all 
the principal rivers of the State, except the Tennessee, flow 
directly through it, and empty into the Gulf of Mexico upon the 
south. No section of the Union is more highly favored with 
grand water-ways than the Cotton and Timber Belts of Alabama. 
Enlarged facilities for travel are afforded by the great railway 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 133 



systems which penetrate it. In this particular again is the Cot- 
ton Belt most liberally favored, tlie lines of railroad which pene- 
trate being the chief thoroughfares of railway in the South, viz: 
The Louisville & Nashville, with its different branch ways, the 
Queen & Cresent line, the Western Eailroad of Alabama, the 
East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia, and the Central of Georgia. 
Other lines are now projected, which will afford additional facilities 
for transportation to this highly favored region. Notably among 
these may be mentioned the Pensacola & Meridian Railroad, and 
the new line which is being pushed from Mobile to Birmingham, 
which will not only pierce the most fertile sections of the great 
Cotton Belt, but will also penetrate the heart of the richest min- 
eral regions of the Onion. Other important lines also traverse 
the Cotton Belt, such as the Montgomery & Florida Eailroad, 
which already extends considerably below Montgomery and is be- 
ing rapidly built toward the most fertile sections of Florida. 

As an agricultural region this famous Belt can not be surpassed. 
Until a few years ago, agriculture was the only pursuit of the 
people of the Cotton Belt, but there has gradually grown up a 
diversification of pursuits which are being profitably followed. 

In 1860 this Belt produced two-thirds of the cotton and one- 
half of the corn crop of Alabama, Wheat, rye, oats, tobacco, sor- 
ghum, millet, sugar-cane, sweet and Irish potatoes, rice and pea- 
nuts, produce with great readiness; while of the orchard, apples, 
peaches, pears, grapes, apricots, figs, pomegranates, watermelons, 
plums, strawberries, raspberries, and others thrive with readiness, 
and in many instances are proving quite remunerative. 

Grasses and clovers spring spantaneously in all districts that 
lie out, and, when cultivated, they are wonderfully prolific. Along 
the numerous streams grows in rank luxuriance the swamp cane, 
which in its native wildness once overspread large sections of this 
Belt and gave it the significant name of Canebrake. This growth 
is usually restricted to the branches, creeks, and rivers, and re- 
maining perpetually green, it serves as a fresh and delicious 
forage to stock during the brief winters which prevail. For many 
years it has been the custom of planters to leave their stock in the 
plantations to subsist upon this nutritious growth. Eaten down 
in the winter, it readily rallies the following spring, and is fresh, 



134 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



tender, and luxuriant for the winter next succeeding. These fur- 
nish an index of the boundless capabilities of this favored region. 

While cotton must ever remain an indispensible adjunct of civ- 
ilization, and while it will hold a conspicuous place among the 
products of the globe, yet the planter of the South is not so ab- 
sorbed in the production of cotton as he has heretofore been. 
Where the fleecy fibre held undisputed sway for so many years 
together, it has now been forced to divide its sovereignty with a 
large per centage of food crops. In 1880-'81, the cotton produc- 
tion of Alabama was 740,000 bales; in 1881-'82, 700,000 bales; 
in 1882-'83, 780,000 bales ; in 1883-'84, 605,000 bales ; in 1884-'85, 
650,000 bales; in 1885-'86, 760,447 bales. 

Turning to the production of grain, we find that in 1880 the 
corn crop of Alabama resulted in about 25,000,000 bushels, and 
the oat crop in about 3,000,000 bushels. In 1885, the corn crop 
ran up to more than 30,000,000 bushels, while the oat crop went 
to 5,000,000 bushels. This points to a gradual equalization of 
the agricultural products of the State — to a gradual declination 
of cotton and inclination of food crops. Time will serve to equal- 
ize these and other products more, and in this lies the future hope 
of the agricultural prosperity of the States of the South, By a 
decrease in the production of cotton, there will be a corresponding 
increase of its market value by one of the plainest principles of 
political economy, while its decrease again will indicate an increase 
of grain or food crops, and this will inevitably lead to the raising 
of stock, and these together will lead to the restoration of our 
agricultural system under a new regime. Diversified tillage 
means a diversity of avenues which lead to prosperity, so that 
whereas in former years the producer was reliant upon only one 
staple for his revenue, he finds that many will come to lay their 
tribute at his feet. And notwithstanding in former years our 
cities were built, our railroads were constructed, and our educa- 
tional institutions were founded upon capital derived from the 
production of cotton, we will find that in the years to come the 
multiplied allies will greatly reinforce the revenue growing from 
the fleecy fibre, and will proportionately impart expression to the 
increasing evidence of prosperity in the establishment of other 
cities, in the enlargement of those existing in the multiplication 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 135 



of railway lines, and in thronging our great water-ways with 
packets of transportation. 

Jubilant as we are over the rapid developments made in the 
mineral regions of Alabama, and appreciating these as colossal 
contributions to the prosperity of the State present and future, 
yet Alabama is far more largely an agricultural than a manufac- 
turing State. The demoralization incident to the great civil war, 
the shattered system of labor, the destruction of agricultural im- 
plements and machinery, and the incapacity of Southern planters 
to accommodate themselves to this chaotic state of things, served 
to bring out vast agricultural interests into disrepute. And when 
the mineral resources of our State flashed into sudden prominence, 
the temptation was great to forsake the old and cling to the 
new. 

And this accounts for the comparative obscurity of our infor- 
mation concerning the vast capabilities of our agricultural lands. 
To-day the bulk of our people are unaware of the vast treasures 
of wealth which our fertile soils are capable of yielding. Instead 
of having induced frugal, thrifty immigrants to come and occupy 
our expansive agricultural regions, we have really suffered resi- 
dents to leave by thousands and to locate in distant States, where 
the lands are not a whit superior to ours, and where the surround- 
ing advantages, in the way of water, fuel and healthful ness, are 
far fewer. The mineral resources, their extent, superiority and 
development have not been advertised too much, but our agricul- 
tural capabilities have been made too little of. In the darkness 
which fell upon us when our slaves were liberated, our labor sys_ 
tern was shattered, and our fertile fields were turned out, we were 
groping for the light of relief. That came when the treasures of 
mineral were found in exhaustless quantities through almost one- 
third of our great Commonwealth. 

But what would minerals be to a region without agriculture? 
Every interest is more or less dependent upon agriculture, and 
must rise or fall with the increase or decrease of the products of 
the field. 

Happily for us, our people have again addressed themselves, 
with becoming earnestness, to the restoration of a labor system 
suited to the demands of the period. The lands which have long 



136 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



been surrendered to the tangled vine and riotous weed are being 
reclaimed, farms are taking the place of immense plantations, 
decay and waste are being arrested by judicious fertilization, and 
instead of wringing the last vestige of nutriment from the soils in 
the production of a single plant, rotation has been substituted and 
diversification has been adopted. 

It is a short-sited policy to disregard any of the capabilities of 
a great Commonwealth like Alabama. That our agricultural 
districts have been neglected, no one can deny. More than two 
decades have gone by since our lands were suffered to pass under 
the ban of negligence. 

There has been a struggle to maintain a footing in the agricul- 
tural districts. Steadily the planter is improving, but the lands 
go begging in the market. Where is the hope of subsequent 
relief ? Shall we abandon the fertile soils of a great region like 
the Cotton Belt, and seek other pursuits? Our relief is in the 
settlement of men of thrift and energy upon our fertile and expan- 
sive fields, to transform them from wildernesses into gardens of 
beauty and profit. We should seek to bring our agricultural 
advantages up alongside the mineral. 

Our minerals, our farm products, and our peerless timbers are 
three great elements of prosperity. 

The geographical relations which they sustain, indicate the 
beneficent wisdom of God. Lying between the two great agricul- 
tural regions of Alabama, is the wonderful Mineral Belt. While 
the one produces the ore from the hill and mountain, it is sus- 
tained by the bread grown upon the other, while the sweeps of 
forest supply the necessary timber. Thus do these great districts 
aid and sustain each other. 

The agricultural development of the State, and indeed of the 
entire South, has been seriously retarded by the systems of labor 
which have obtained, and which were hastily adopted when the 
system under the old regime was seen going to pieces. 

There are three systems of cultivation which are now prevalent 
in the South, viz: the wages, the share, and the renting system. 
These each have their disadvantages which need not be discussed 
here. But what is needed most of all, is the distribution of small 



ALABAMA AS IT IS, 137 



farms throughout the planting areas of the State. This can not 
be done without a large and thrifty population. 

Such a population is desired and will meet a cordial welcome 
by the best citizeus of this State. They own the land in vast 
abundance and are eager for thrifty occupants. 

That there is much ignorance concerning the capability of our 
soil, the healthfulness of our climate and the record of our crimi- 
nality can not be denied. 

To correct these impressions, statements of facts gathered from 
the most authentic sources are needed. The statements herein- 
after made, concerning the wonderful capabilities of our fields, 
are based upon the most authentic information. 

The advantages possessed by each county are carefully pre- 
sented for the consideration of those seeking homes in the fertile 
agricultural belt of Alabama. 



PICKENS COUNTY. 



^^pICKENS was constituted in 1820, and named after General 
&m£ Andrew Pickens of South Carolina. It is the furthest north 
^|«a of the counties of the Cotton Belt, being directly west of 
Tuscaloosa county, and between that county and the eastern 
boundary of Mississippi. "While it is a cotton county the indica- 
tions are that there are limited deposits of coal, iron and lead in 
Pickens, It is one of the largest counties of the State, having an 
area of 1,000 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 21,479; population in 1890, 22,470. White, 
9,284; colored, 13,186. 

Area planted in cotton, 59,949 acres; in corn, 38,011; in oats, 
7,599 acres; in wheat, 7 acres; in tobacco, 3 acres. 

Cation prochidion — 18,904 bales. 

The surface in the northeast is hilly and sandy, with alluvial 
loam in creek bottoms. The soil increases in fertility in the west- 
erly direction, and the valleys of the Tombigbee and its tribu- 
taries, and the prairies in the southwestern part of the county are 
very rich and productive. Some of the lands have been in con- 



138 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



tinuous cultivation since first the forests were removed, fully fifty 
years ago, and yet they are still very prolific. 

The productions of the coimty are cotton, corn, wheat, oats, 
sweet and Irish potatoes, sorghum, and sugar cane. The bf^st 
lands, under the intensive system, yield from one to two bales of 
cotton to the acre, forty to sixty bushels of corn, and from sixty 
to one hundred and ten bushels of oats. Winter clover, incerne, 
and Japan clover flourish ; Bermuda grass does remarkably well, 
while red clover, timothy, and orchard grass have given satisfac- 
tion in the experiments made in cultivating them. 

The fruits grown in the county are such as might be expected 
of a section with so mild a climate. They are apples, peaches, 
pears, pomegranates, cherries, nectarines, apricots, figs, quinces, 
grapes, scuppernongs, strawberries, and raspberries. The bland 
climate enables them to ripen rapidly, and to find their way, at an 
early season, to the market, thereby commanding good prices. 

In addition to the above common fruits, prunes, Japan plums, 
jujubes, Spanish chestnuts, English walnuts, pecans, almonds, 
and filberts have been planted to a limited extent, and as far as 
tried, have been somewhat successful, though attended with some 
difiiculty. 

The water supplies of the county are extensive. The Tombig- 
bee and the Sipsey Rivers, together with Bogue Chitta, Coalfire, 
Lubbub, Blubber, Big Bear, and McBee Creeks, are the principal 
streams. Besides these, there are numerous sources of water in 
the abounding springs and wells. Artesian wells exist in some 
parts of the county, and the water supply is perpetual throughout 
the year. 

In most of the streams there are superb fish, which are easily 
caught, affording much delight to the sportsman. 

The transportation facilities of the county are confined at pres- 
ent to the Tombigbee River, which unites with the Alabama, and 
forms the Mobile River just above the Gulf City. An important 
railway line is being constructed between Brunswick, Georgia, and 
Kansas City, Missouri, which will pass directly through Pickens 
county. 

Points of interest are, Carrollton, the county-seat, Pickensville, 
and Vienna, all of which are towns of much local commercial 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 139 



importance. Valuable schools, for males and females, are found 
in all these places. Indeed, throughout the county are found 
valuable educational facilities. Excellent houses of worship, 
which represent the different religious denominations are also 
found. 

The timbers, which are found in the forests of Pickens, embrace 
the ash, birch, black walnut, cedar, cherry, chestnut, Cottonwood, 
cypress, elm, gum, hickory, maple, mulberry, oak, persimmon, 
pine, poplar, sycamore, and willow. 

Many timbers of the largest character are rafted along the 
Tombigbee to Mobile, where they command a good price. The 
excellent oaks are admirably adapted to the manufacture of barrel 
staves, which are made in great quantities, and find their way to 
Mobile, where a ready market awaits them. 

Lands may be purchased at prices ranging from $5. to $50. 
Men of sobriety and thriftiness would be welcomed to Pickens, 
where they would find an orderly and law-abiding community. 
Pickens county has 5,000 acres of lands belonging to the govern- 
ment. 



SUMTER CODNTY. 



^|f|ORMED in 1832, this county derived its name from that of 
I General Thomas Sumter, of South Carolina. It lies on 
the Mississippi border, and is in that region of the country 
which has long been noted for the richness of its lands. 

Its area embraces 1,000 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 28,728; population in 1890, 29,574. 
White, 5,943; colored, 23,631. 

Area planted in cotton, 82,728 acres; in corn, 45,858 acres; 
in oats, 2,152 acres; in rye, 1 acre; in tobacco, 13 acres; in 
sweet potatoes, 1,056 acres. 

Cotton Production — 25,799 bales. 

The general surface of Sumter county is undulating. The 
northern portion is composed, for the most part, of black prairie 
lands with a limestone base, with here and there tracts of .allu- 



140 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



vial soil — makiDg that portion extremely fertile. These broad 
sweeps of prairie lands are interspersed with ridges and hills, 
which are capped with sand pebbles. The southern part is com- 
posed largely of a sandy soil. This portion of Sumter embraces 
what is known as the Flatwoods, which are from three to five 
miles broad. These occur near the center of the county. In this 
flatwood region there is a variety of soil. The high table-lands, 
which are found in the southern part ol Sumter, have a sandy 
loam soil and red loam sub-soil. Occasionally deep bed of sand 
is found. Unlike the lands in northern Sumter, these need, gen- 
erally, some fertilization. This remark applies with aptness to 
the flatwoods, which are barren in their virgin state, but which 
produce with readiness when the deficiencies in plant food are 
supplied. 

The soils of Sumter produce, chiefly, corn, cotton, oats, peas, 
sorghum, sugar-cane, sweet and Irish potatoes. Prior to the war 
vast quantities of wheat were raised. Many large planters pro- 
duced a sufiiciency for home consumption, and a flouring mill at 
Gainesville did an immense business with domestic wheat- 
growers. 

All the fruits known to the South are raised here, many 
being quite fine. Apples, peaches, pears, plums, the various ber- 
ries, figs, pecans, and watermelons are easily produced. Grapes 
do remarkably well, especially in the sandy soils. 

The county has long been noted for its superior stock, and the 
people within the last few years are improving their breeds with 
such results as to make stock-raisiog profitable. Grasses and 
native clovers flourish upon the stiffer lauds, and remain green 
almost the entire year. Bermuda grass is cultivated. Johnson 
and other grasses thrive both in the fields and upon the lands 
which have been turned out. Many fine herds of cattle and 
sheep are seen, and superior horses and mules. 

The forests abound in short and long-leaf pine, white, red, 
turkey, water and post oaks, hickory, chestnut, black and sweet 
gums, ash, popular, walnut and cedar. 

In the southern portion of the county beds of lignite are fre- 
quently met with. One of these beds, in a cut along the Ala- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 141 



bama Great Southern Railroad, has been on fire for many years. 
At some future time this coal will prove serviceable as a fuel. 

In some parts of Sumter are found mineral springs and wells. 
A mineral artesian well, more than one thousand feet deep, at 
Livingston, is a place of frequent resort. Its curative properties 
are wonderful and the well is destined to become one of the 
favorite resorts of the South. In connection with the well are 
excellent hotels, whif^h afford facilities of comfort to those visit- 
ing the town for the purpose of drinking the waters. Persons 
resort to these waters from every section of the Union. For 
dyspepsia they are said to be superior to the famous waters of 
Waukesha. 

Sumter abounds in perennial streams, chief among which are 
the Tombigbee River, which forms the eastern boundary, the 
Noxubee and Sucarnotchee Rivers, and the Bodka, Jones, Toom- 
sooba, Kinterbish, Silver, Yellow and Alamutchee Creeks. These 
streams are fed by many tributaries, which flow at convenient 
points over the territory of the county. 

Transportation lines abound throughout Sumter. The Alabama 
Great Southern and the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Rail- 
roads both traverse the county and cross at York. A road is ex- 
pected soon to unite Gainesville with Narkeeta, Miss. Both the 
Tombigbee and Noxubee Rivers are navigable. These several 
lines place the county in readiest communication with the North, 
West, East, and extreme South. 

The points of interest in the county are Livingston, the county- 
seat, with a population of 1,000, Gainesville, Epes, York, Cuba, 
and Warsaw. In most of these places the tone of society is 
excellent. 

Educational facilities are good throughout the county. 

At Livingston there is a High School for boys and young 
men. There is also a Normal College for girls. This is a 
school of great repute, and conducted by educators of distinc- 
tion. Belmont, York, Cuba, Sumterville, Brewerville and Gains- 
ville have excellent schools. A common school system for all 
classes prevails throughout the county. 

Lands may be purchased for prices ranging from $2 to $12 
per acre. Many of these lands embrace beds of marl. This 



1^2 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



fertilizer is mined in large quantities, near Coatopa, and shipped 
to Meridian, Mississippi. 

Sumter county embraces 680 acres of government land. 



CHOCTAW COUNTY. 



^H HOCTAW COUNTY was established in 1847. It has been 
llci^ usually classed among the timber counties of the State, but 
^'^^ its fertile lands, which are so largely productive of cotton, 
and its location, give it a place in the rank of cotton counties. 
It is highly favored, both with respect to its magnificient forests 
of timbers and its domains of fertile soil. Some of the most 
splendid cotton plantations of the South are found in Choctaw 
county. The area is 930 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 15,731; population in 1890, 17,526. 
White, 8,209; colored, 9,317. 

Area planted in cotton, 37,292 acres; in corn, 24,435 acres; in 
oats, 2,410 acres; in tobacco, 3 acres, 

Cotton Production — 13,586 bales. 

Both the topography and the soils of Choctaw county are 
greatly varied. The county throughout is diversified with hills, 
valleys, and extensive table- lands. These table-lands through- 
out Choctaw are overlaid with brown loam and sandy soils, which 
give them great variety. 

Near the centre of the county there passes, in a southwesterly 
direction, a sandy ridge which divides the waters of the two prin- 
cipal streams which flow through it. Both north and south of 
this ridge are found many valuable farming lands. The soils 
found in the broad creek bottoms, and those known as "shell 
prairie," the lands most eagerly sought. The high uplands, 
which are overspread with a magnificent growth of yellow pine, 
oak and hickory — are also valuable and easily tilled. In some 
portions of Choctaw are found regions of land which have a stiflC, 
limy, red loam, while others again are black prairie. 

In the neighborhood of the sandy ridge, already alluded to, 
there is a region of high and steep hills, with deep, narrow ravines. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 143 



But, where the valleys are broad, they are generally fertile, as the 
soils which compose them have a considerable proportion of lime. 

Altogether, the county is a desirable location for residence, as 
it is healthy and affords soils of every shade and variety. Along 
the shell prairies and the expansive valleys are found charming 
farms. Owing to the diversity of lauds there is a diversity of 
crops. Of these, corn, cotton, peas, and oats are the leading. 
Both domestic and wild grasses, flourish, affording luxuriant herb- 
age to stock. Like the counties of this section of the State, 
Choctaw is much devoted to stock raising. Cattle, sheep, horses, 
and mules are raised with gratifying results. Vast numbers of 
hogs are fattened and slaughtered by the citizens every year for 
home consumption. 

Fruits peculiar to the Southern climate are grown with satis- 
faction and profit. Excellent peaches and pears are grown in the 
orchards of Choctaw. The forests abound in wild fruits, such as 
hickorynuts, plums, persimmons, and the x'arious Southern ber- 
ries. In some portions of the county there is considerable wild 
game. 

The value of the lauds of Choctaw is enhanced in a number of 
places by reason of the existence of marl beds. Green sand is 
found at several points along the Tombigbee River. Traces of 
petroleum have been discovered. Near Bladon Springs there is 
dug from the earth a soil, the curative properties of which have 
been pronounced marvelous. Large quantities of this medicine 
are manufactured in Mobile under the nime of Acid Iron Earth. 

The pine forests of the county are extensive and valuable. The 
other varieties of timber are magnolia, chestnut, poplar, gum, 
cypress, hickory, ash, beech, willow, cedar and bay. Along the 
streams and in the swampy forests, in the central and southern 
portions of Choctaw, tbe trees are draped in long, swaying moss. 

The county is as highly favored in its water supplies as any 
other in the great Cotton Belt. Its water is both excellent and 
abundant. The chief streams are the Tombigbee River and Oka- 
tuppah, Clear, Yautly, Kinterbish, Tickabum, Bogue Chitta, 
Wanalak Bogue Loosa, Surveyor's, Pascus and Turkey Creeks. 
The county abounds in many superior springs, both of freestone 
and mineral waters. One of these mineral springs, Bladon, has 



144 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



attained considerable note as a watering place. These famous 
springs are located just three miles from the Tombigbee River, 
and are regarded as having superior curative waters. This is 
especially true concerning diseases of the stomach and liver. The 
surroundings of these springs are healthy. 

The chief towns and villages are Butler, the county seat, with 
a population of about 300, Mt. Sterling and Pushmatuha. The 
survey of the projected route of the Pensacola and Memphis 
Railroad passes directly through Butler and Pushmatuha. This 
new line, when completed, will impart fresh life to the county and 
develop its agricultural and timber resources. At present there 
is no railroad that touches the county. For transportation the 
people of the county rely largely upon the Tombigbee River, 
which flows along its eastern border. The Mobile & Ohio Rail- 
road, which runs not a great distance from the western boundary, 
through the State of Mississippi, affords transportation for the 
inhabitants of that section. 

Schools in nearly every part of the county are good. Butler, 
Mt. Sterling, Pushmatuha and Blandon Springs, have first-class 
schools and churches. Educational facilities are within easy 
reach of every populated section of Choctaw. 

Lands may be purchased in many sections of the county at one 
dollar per acre. They extend in value up to six dollars. Public 
lands, which are always subject to entry, are found. The people 
are friendly to immigration. There are 48,920 acres of govern- 
ment land in the county. 



GREENE COUNTY. 



|AVING been established in 1819, the county was named in 
honor of General Nathanael Greene, of Rhode Island. 
^I^P The territory of the county lies in the fork of the Warrior 
and Tombigbee Rivers, and extends as far north as the Sipsey 
River, which forms a part of its northern boundary. A county 
so highly favored with water-ways, exceedingly fertile lands, and 
high social advantages, offers an inviting home to the immigrant 
and investor. It has an area of 520 square miles. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 145 



Population in 1880, 21,931 ; population in 1890, 22,007. White, 
3,235; colored, 18,772. 

Area 'planted in Cotton — 76,384 acres; in corn, 31,034 acres; 
in oats, 2,398 acres; in rye, 6 acres. 

Cotton Production — 20,901 bales. 

With few exceptions the territory of Greene county forms a vast 
rolling prairie of surpassing fertility. In the northern end of the 
county there is a broken surface which slopes away into a gentle 
undulation towards the south. Along the Warrior River, on the 
east, there are bottoms of the most prolific soils, while back 
toward the west there is a gradual ascent to the beautiful table- 
lands, which are overspread with rich, brown, loam soil, and which 
have a red clay subsoil. 

The most fertitle lands lie in the southern and southwestern 
portions of the county. With the most indifferent method of 
tillage, they yield from twenty-five to sixty bushels of corn per 
acre, and from thirty to sixty bushels of oats. Clovers and grasses 
abound. Among these may be named the red clover, mellilotus 
and Japan clover. The mellilotus alba — a Chilian herb — grows 
luxuriantly in this region upon the rocks that have been denuded 
of all surface soil. So rapidly does it thrive that it may be cut 
with the scythe three times a year. It is relished above all other 
herbage by stock. In almost every portion of the county grasses 
and clovers thrive with great readiness. 

In the lower part of the county, where the Tombigbee receives 
the Warrior, which portion is called the "fork," there is a very 
productive section of alluvial lands, with here and there a sandy 
ridge overspread with pebble. This was regarded the most noted 
cotton section in the county before the war, and its capabilities are 
still unimpaired; but the change of labor has not been favorable 
to the cultivation of these heavy, fertile lands. The chief crops 
upon the several soils of Greene county are cotton, corn, oats, 
sweet and Irish potatoes, and sugar cane. The last-named pro- 
duction is annually increasing. It thrives luxuriantly in the bot- 
toms, is easy to cultivate, and is readily and cheaply converted 
into first-class molasses and sugar. The bottoms in the northern 
portion of the county are extensively used in its production. As 
7 



146 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



will be seen from the statistics given above, about two- thirds of 
the lands of Greene are devoted to cotton. The county is em- 
phatically a cotton producing sectiDn, but its soils are capable of 
producing any crop grown upon the lauds of the South. Corn 
grows to perfection. Grasses and clovers, both wild and domestic, 
flourish luxuriantly ; the streams and low places form dense brakes 
of swamp cane, and thus stock-raising is easy. For many years 
attention has been given to raising stock. 

With the means of transportation at hand, there is no doubt that 
stock-raisiug would be the most lucrative industry in which one 
could engage in Greeue county. The timbers in the forests em- 
brace pine, oak, hickory, beech, cypress, cedar, ash, and gum. 
Fruit trees grow finely and produce well in some parts of the 
county. Navigable Rivers — the Tombigbee and the Warrior — 
flow along its western and eastern boundaries, while the Alabama 
Great Southern Railroad penetrates the county, east and west, 
and together they present to commerce fine facilities for trans- 
portation. 

The county is drained by numerous streams which flow iato 
the three rivers, by which it is, in large measure, surrounded- 
Among these may be named Sim's, Buck's, and Turkey Creeks. 

The priucipal towns are Eutaw, the county-seat, with a popula- 
tion of 1,200; Forkland, Cliuton, Pleasant Ridge, and Union, all 
of which are increasing in importance as social and Commercial 
centers. 

Eutaw lias good schools and churches, and a hotel which has 
won for itself quite a distinction with the traveling public. At all 
the points named, good schf.ols are to be found, and throughout 
the country districts the people are alive to the importance o^ 
education. Because agricultural lands have not been in demand 
by immigrants in Central Alabama since the close of the war, and 
because these lands have not been [mt upon the market, there has 
been very little sale, and hence the lands are cheap. They may 
be purchased at prices ranging from $3 to ^13 per acre, and yet 
their capabilities are remarkable. Before the war these lands could 
not have been bought for $25 and $50 per acre. Extraordinary 
inducements are here given to immigrants of thrifty habits. 
Natural fertilizers prevail in different portions of Greene. There 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 147 



is a green sand bed at Pleasant Ridge. Along the banks of the 
Warrior River at low water there is exposed a bed of green sand 
between Choctaw Bluff and Erie. This bed is several feet thick, 
and with the development of the agricultural resources of the 
county, will prove valuable. 

Of late there has been a discovery of considerable beds of Marl 
and green sand on the dividing line between the clay and the 
black lands. The extent of these beds is unknown, but they are 
in thickness from three to ten feet. Experiments of their merits 
having been made, prove them quite valuable as fertilizers even 
in their crude state. 

Greene county is justly regarded one of the most productive of 
the counties of this belt. There are about 280 acres of govern- 
ment land in the county. 



HALE COUNTY. 




HE above named county was founded in 1867, and named 
for Colonel Stephen F. Hale. It embraces one of the 
finest agricultural districts ia the South. Productive in 
soil, healthful in climate, abundantly supplied with 
superior schools, and with an intelligent, thrifty, and progressive 
people, the county of Hale deservedly ranks among the best in 
the State. The sole industry of the people is agriculture, with 
few exceptions. In a limited way, the people are devoted to the 
manufactures. Its area is 670 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 26,553; population in 1890,27501. White, 
5,180; colored, 22,321. 

Area planted in cotton, 90,738 acres; in corn, 41,923 acres; 
in oats, 2,999 acres; in rye, 7 acres; in tobacco, 6 acres. 
Cotton production — 23,973 bales. 

In the northeast the county is hilly, the rest being composed 
almost entirely of prairie bottoms. There is almost every variety 
of soil to^be found in Hale. The southern portion, being a little 
less than one-half of its territory, is composed almost entirely of 



148 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



black canebrake land, which has a marvelous fertility. The western 
and northwestern parts of the county furnish a variety of lands, 
some of which are sandy and others red, which gradually shade 
off into the dark lands, composing what is called the second War- 
rior bottom. Most of this land is of excellent quality, being 
strong, and some, especially that referred to as second bottom, of 
superior richness. The bottoms along the Warrior River, which 
constitutes the western boundry liae, with few exceptions, are sub- 
ject to overflow, and are not regarded as valuable as those higher 
up and beyond the reach of the water mark. Along these lower 
bottoms there is a terrace of lands called second bottom, which 
are not exposed to overflow. As has been said, the northern part 
of the county is more or less hilly. In the midst of these hills, 
are found table-lands of good quality. This is also true of the 
lands lying along the streams in this region. The diligent tiller 
of these soils, with favorable seasons, is sure to reap an abundant 
harvest. In the northwestern corner of Hale is a district of sandy 
soil which is not cultivated except in isolated tracts; but the thin- 
ness of the soil is atoned for by the abundance of yellow or long- 
leaf pine, which possesses rare value because of its location and 
its relation to the adjoining domains of rich prairie lands. In the 
eastern portion there is a commingling of sand and red loam, 
which makes the lands exceedingly valuable for agricultural pur- 
poses. 

The staple productions grown in the South are raised in Hale, 
viz: Cotton, corn, peas and potatoes. Many other elements are 
produced, as the statistics at the head of this article will show, and 
every year increases more and more the variety of crops. Rice, 
sugar, and tobacco are gradually receiving more attention. Earms 
for the production of hay are coming annually more into note, and 
there is a corresponding improvement in stock. 

In this county the famous alba mellilotus comes to perfection. 
Large quantities of seeds are annually gathered from this nutri- 
tious hay herb and shipped to every section of the South. Dur- 
ing one year when corn was scarce some of the planters of the 
county had to rely largely upon the mellilotus for food for work- 
ing stock. It grows here to an amazing height, even upon the 
rocks from which every visible vestige of soil has been washed. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 149 



The famous Johnson Grass also grows upon many of the planta- 
tions of Hale. 

The principal timbers which stock the forests of Hale are oak, 
maple, hickory, gum, long and short-leaf pine, poplar, ash, and 
along the Warrior bottom there is a considerable quantity of wal- 
nut timber. It has baen proved by actual experience that the 
forest trees of California when transplanted to the soil of Hale 
county grow with great readiness. Among these may be men- 
tioned the famous redwood and the mountain cedar. The Japan 
cedar also thrives when planted here. 

The county abounds in excellent streams, which not only will 
furnish supplies of water for house and farm purposes, but for 
the manufactures as well. Chief among the streams may be men- 
tioned Warrior River, Big Prairie, Little Prairie, German, Big, 
Bush, Five Mile, Hardwick's and Caldwell Creeks. Together 
with the abounding springs, these streams afford ample supplies 
of water. 

Late geological surveys have established the fact that there are 
large deposits of phosphate in Hale county. 

Means of transportation are furnished by the Warrior River, 
the Cincinnati, Selma & Mobile, the Alabama Great Southern, 
and East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroads. 

Places of interest are Greensboro, the county-seat, with a pop- 
ulation of 2,000, Newbern, Akron and Havana, fill of which are 
places of promise. 

The county is throughout supplied with educational advan- 
tages. Greensboro, long noted for its elegance and refinement? 
is the seat of the Southern University, which is conducted under 
the auspices of the M. E. Church, South. It is a valuable 
institution of learning. There are other good schools in the 
town for both sexes. Tiie same is true of Newbern; it has flour- 
ishing schools. In Havana there is a High School for boys 
and girls, besides other educational advantages. Throughout 
the county there exists an educational spirit which finds expres- 
sion in many excellent schools. Religious advantages in the 
county are also good. 

Agricultural lands may be had for from $2 to $20 per acre. 
Pine lands will cost from $1 to $2 per acre. These lands are 



150 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



everywhere supplied with streams of water. Artesian wells 
abound, especially in the southern portion. A desire prevails to 
have the county populated with thrifty immigrants. 

There are 7,000 acres of government land in Hale county. 



MAEENGO COUNTY. 



^feHE county of Marengo was established in 1818, and in 
fitf || compliment to the French settlers, who first occupied it, 
^i^t© was named in commemoration of Napoleon's great victory. 
^(•"/"^ Some of the most charming farm lands of this latitude lie 
within the territory of this highly favored county. Over its bi'oad 
surface are found many of the typical Southern plantations. It 
lies largely within the famous canebrake region. In striking 
contrast are the vast cotton plantations here found, with the small 
and neatly cultivated farms of the North and East. Stretching 
away to illimitable distances are these broad plains of snowy 
cotton, decked here and there with an old-time mansion and 
comely houses for the laborers. 

Marengo is just now rallying from the severe shock sustained 
by the emancipation of the slaves and the consequent demoral- 
ization of labor. Her fertile plantations are now being gradually 
reclaimed, and are rapidly assuming their wonted glory. 

The county has an area of 960 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 30,890; population in 1690, 33,095. 
White, 7,916; colored, 25,149. 

Area planted in cotton, 94,083 acres; in corn, 44,233 acres; 
in oats, 4,225 acres; in tobacco, 1 acre. 

Cotion Production — 31,641 bales. 

The northern portion of Marengo county is level, or slightly 
undulating. The soils vary, being partly stiff prairie and partly 
light sandy loam. Ihere is prevailing, in some parts of this sec- 
tion, a post-oak soil, which is heavy sandy clay of reddish and 
yellowish colors. 

The county is diversified throughout with hills, plains, and fer- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 151 



tile valleys. Tbe great stretches of prairie are broken here and 
there by a line of hills, which overlook vast regions of country or 
gaze down upon rich valleys. The several soils are black prairie, 
which belong to the plains; the mulatto soils, which belong to the 
higher tablelands, and the gray hammock. As is trae throughout 
the counties of the Black Belt, the most valuable of these soils is 
the black prairie, but all are valuable uoder different circum- 
stances. Over these lime lands grows the mellilotus, or honey 
weed, an excellent forage herb, of which stock of all kinds are 
exceedingly fond. Oftentimes it grows to the height of six feet 
and overspreads the bare lime rock. Kaisers of stock prize it 
quite highly for its nutritious qualities. 

The canebrake lands of Marengo are found in the northern end 
of the county and extend southward about ten or fifteen miles. 
These lands have long been proverbial for their marvelous pro- 
ductive qualities. 

From about the center southwarl, the lands become thinner 
with a sandy surface. About the center of the county occur the 
"flatwoods," which extend with varying width across the county 
from east to west. The average width is five or six miles. This 
region of flatwoods is slightly undulating, and because of the 
waxiness of the soil, is not sought by the planter. Upon analysis, 
soils of this peculiar section are found to be deficient in lime, 
though in some portions of it cotton grows remarkable well. 
Early in the spring the wild clover, lespedeza, begins to show 
itself in this flatwoods country, and attains to the height of two 
or three feet. A finer grazing region was never seen than this 
flatwoods section, which sweeps without interruption from the 
Tombigbee to the Alabama river. This wild clover is eagerly 
sought by all kinds of stock, and lasts from March or April until 
the coldest periods of winter. AVhere streams flow across the 
flatwoods they are thickly bordered with luxuriant swamp cane. 

Lower down still are the famous Rembert hills, the favorite re- 
sort of the planters of the past as a region in whif^h to establish 
their homes. These high hills overlook the rich valleys which 
lie along Beaver Creek. Along the last-named stream are out- 
croppings of marl beds, which lend additional richness to the 
soils. All these lauds — the black prairie and the brown loam on 



152 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



the uplands, as well as the light gray — are valuable and produc- 
tive. The crops usually produced are corn, cotton, peas, sweet 
and Irish potatoes, millet, oats and sugar-cane. Corn and cotton 
thrive about equally well upon the different lands. 

Some of the lands lying ia the bottoms have been in cultivation 
fifty years or more, and yet they are seemingly as exhaustless in 
fertility now as ever. 

That there are fine phosphate beds in Marengo there is no doubt. 
Attention has been called only to the evidence of these deposits. 
It is conspicuous in the neighborhood of Luther's Store, and pre- 
vails across the country in the direction of Black's Bluff, on the 
Alabama River. Green sand is seen in some considerable abun- 
dance in several places, most notably where the Linden and Nana- 
falia road crosses Double Creek. Also on the Tombigbee between 
the mouth of Beaver Creek and Nanafalia green sand is found. A 
surer evidence of the fertility of these Marengo lands could not be 
had. 

The timbers of the county are the several varieties of oak, 
hickory, poplar, scalybark, ash, hackberry, cedar, sweet gam, red, 
white, and slippery elm, cottonwood, buckeye, persimmon, and 
dogwood. In the southern end of the county there are domains 
of yellow or long-leaf pine in its virgin plentitude. It is superior 
in every respect. Along the streams are dense brakes of cane, 
and in the swamps large districts of palmetto. 

Transportatiou is afforded by the Tombigbee River, which forms 
its western border, and the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia 
Railroad. 

Steps are being taken to construct dummy lines in different 
portions of the county. One is in contemplation in the near future 
between Faunsdale and Linden. All the interior towns and vil- 
lages have telephonic connection with the Western Union Tele- 
graph Company, either at Faunsdale or Demopolis. 

Its chief streams are the Tombigbee and Warrior Rivers, the 
Chicasaw, Bogue, Dickson's, Double, Beaver, Horse, Turkey^ 
Duck, and Bear Creeks. 

Linden, the county-seat, Demopolis, Faunsdale, Dayton, Mc- 
Kinley, Nanafalia, Jefferson, and Spring Hill are the points of. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 153 



interest. These have excellent educational and religious advan- 
tages. 

The point of greatest interest in the county is Demopolis, a 
town of 2,000 inhabitants, located upon a high bluff of the Tom- 
bigbee River. Its commercial advantages are superior by reason 
of its proximity to fertile sections of the several counties, viz. : 
Green, Hale and Sumter. 

Its transportation advantages are superior, being at the junction 
of the Tombigbee River with the East Tennessee, Virginia & 
Georgia Railroad. In the surrounding region prevails the jfinest 
limestone and in vast abundance. The town supports good schools, 
churches, and hotels. It has a female institution of merit. Its 
mineral well, the volume of which is immense, is one of the best 
in the South, and readily supplies every portion of the town with 
superior water. Demopolis is an excellent cotton market. It 
sustains a large cotton-seed oil mill. 

Eager to have their lands occupied, the owners offer rare induce- 
ments to immigrants. The best lands may be had from ^8 to $20 
per acre. Lands less fertile sell for much less. 

There are 2,400 acres of government land in the county await- 
ing occupation. 

Marengo Female Institute. 

The Marengo Female Institute was established in 1834, under 
the name of the Marengo Female Academy. 

The leaders of the movement were Joseph McDonald, Joseph 
W. Moore and Francis S. Lyon, all of whom have long since 
passed away. 

The school has had many excellent scholars at its head, among 
whom were Prof. Sayre, who died at his post in 1858 of yellow 
fever; Prof. Phillips, Prof. Legare and Geo. F. Miller, Ph. D., 
(Berlin.) In March, 1886, the buildings'^were burned, except 
one brick structure, but were rebuilt in the same year on a larger 
and better plan. Since then the school has been steadily growing 
in reputation and in numbers. 

For years this was the only female school in this section of the 
country, and hundreds of the noble women for which the " Black 



154 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 




ALABAMA AS IT IS. 155 



Belt" is so famous were educated at this institution. Many- 
mothers who now send their daughters here claim this as their 
Alma Mater. 

Under the present administration the school has doubled its 
number of boarders, increased its faculty, added another year to 
the course of study, and in many ways adjusted itself to the needs 
of female education of this later day. 

The faculty at present is as follows : 

J. W. Beeson, A. M., President, Latin, German and Higher 
Mathematics. 

Miss Lizzie M. Alexander, Presiding Teacher (for 1892-3), 
Sciences, History and Literature. 

Miss Ada Beeson, Assistant in Science, History and Literature. 

Miss Mollie Clarke, English and Mathematics. 

Miss Winnie Smith, English and French. 

Miss Maggie Foster, Assistant in English and French. 

Music Department — Miss Lizzie C. Caldwell, Directress, In- 
strumental and Vocal ; Theory and Harmony, Miss Maggie Alex- 
ander. 

Art Department — Miss Annie G. Pront. 

Calisthenics — Miss Winnie Smith. 

Elocution — Miss Lizzie M. Alexander. 

Home Department — Mrs. Alice Borden, Matron. 



WILCOX COUNTY. 




iHIS county derived its name from Lieutenant Joseph M 
Wilcox. It was created as early as 1819, and has steadily 
maintained a reputation as one of the leading agricultural 
■W-T counties of the State. It is highly favored, both with re- 
spect to the character of its lands and the abundant supplies of 
water. Most of its lands, and especially its most tillable soils, 
lie well for cultivation. Its favorable climate, its diverse soils, 
its varied crops, make it a most desirable home for the man of 
limited means, as well as for the more extensive planter. Its area 
embraces 960 square miles. 



156 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Population in 1880, 31,828; population in 1890, 30,816. White, 
6,794; colored, 24,022. 

Area planted in cotton, 91,597 acres; in corn, 40,053 acres; in 
oats, 7,011 acres; in sugar-cane, 251 acres; in rice, 14 acres; in 
tobacco, 15 acres; in sweet potatoes, 1,597 acres. 

Cotton Production — 32,582 bales. 

The general surface of Wilcox is uneven though it has much 
level land. Most of the land of even surface, whether found in 
the prairie districts, along the streams, or upon the table lands 
amid the hills, has been brought into cultivation. In the palmy- 
days of the past there could have been seen, in the most fertile 
sections of the county, especially upon its prairie and bottom 
lands, some of the most splendid and extensive plantations of the 
Far South. There is a variety of soil to be found in different 
parts of the county, and sometimes a variety in the same section. 
For instance, along the northern end of Wilcox, there are to be 
found all the varieties of black and red, with gray or white lands, 
with an occasional intervention of mulatto soil. All of this land 
is productive, however. This is a fair index of the diversity of 
soils prevalent throughout Wilcox. The gray and mulatto up- 
lands are valuable for farming purposes, while the black prairie 
soils and the rich alluvial bottoms which lie along the large 
creeks and Alabama River, sometimes embracing leagues of land 
in the great curves of that stream, are remarkable for their pro- 
ductiveness. Upon these, grows to rank luxuriance, the cotton 
of Wilcox, the yield of which, under favorable circumstances, is 
immense. 

In portions of the county, notably in the southern part, the 
lands become thinner, being overlaid with a surface of dark sands. 
But beneath this sandy surface, there is usually a deep red, or 
yellowish clay subsoil, which proves an invaluable adjunct to the 
upper soil in the production of crops. Cotton, corn, oats, sweet 
and Irish potatoes, millet, sorghum, sugar cane and rice are the 
principal products of the farm. 

In some portions of Wilcox the breeds of stock, especially of 
mules and^horses, are being vastly improved, and this is leading 
to the cultivation of useful grasses, which flourish with only par- 
tial attention. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 157 



The native grasses in summer, and the cane which abounds 
along the creeks and river at all seasons, furnish herbage for 
stock throughout the year. Enterprising parties are engaged in 
every portion of the county in stock raising. Horses and mules 
are raised with ease and scarcely at no expense. The dairy in- 
terest is exciting attention and large numbers of improved strains 
of cattle have beea introduced into the county. 

Large quantities of apples, peaches, pears and plums are pro- 
duced in great abundance every year. All the domestic berries, 
such as raspberries and strawberries, produce quite satisfactorily, 
and quantities are annually grown. All the wild fruits known to 
our southern latitude, groAv in the waste places and through the 
forests of Wilcox. 

The range of hills in southern Wilcox are admirably adapted to 
fruit raising. From the orchards fruit comes to perfection earlier 
than in any other section of the State. Grapes are easily and 
abundantly produced. 

The timbers of the county are long and short-leaf pine, the dif- 
ferent varieties of oak, hickory, ash, elm, poplar, cedar, mulberry^ 
beech, magnolia, sycamore and walnut. Some of the most splen- 
did specimens of timber found in Southern forests can be ob- 
tained in Wilcox. Perhaps no county surpasses it in the abund- 
ance of its cedar growth. There is also quite a quantity of ex- 
cellent cypress timber. When this is removed and the land upon 
which it grows is thoroughly drained, it has been found to equal 
any other in its capacity of production. 

The Alabama River, Parsley, Pine Barren, Cedar Gravel, Bear, 
Turkey and Chilatchee Creeks, are the chief streams flowing 
through the county, but like all large streams, they are fed by 
many smaller ones, which drain different parts of the county. 
These and others afford a sufficiency of water. The water of the 
springs and wells is either of the coolest freestone or purest lime- 
stone. Green sand marl has been found at different points in 
Wilcox. Between Coal Bluff, on the Alabama River, and the 
mouth of Pursley Creek, not a great distance above GuUett's 
Landing, there are several occurrences of green sand along th« 
banks of the river. These extend to within a short distance of 
Yellow Bluff, at McNeill's Shoals. Evidences of green sand pre- 



158 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



vail near Lower Peach Tree. The productiveness of the lands 
which are embraced in the great curves of the Alabama, is no 
doubt largely due to the prevalence of these marls. The pres- 
ence of green sand is also reported from the neighborhood of 
Snow Hill. At Coal Bluff, on the Alabama Kiver, are traces of 
coal. 

The places of interest are Camden, a beautiful town of 1,400 
people, and the county seat. Snow Hill, Allenton, Pine Apple, 
and Ptehoboth. Most of these places have superior educational 
facilities. All of them have excellent church organizations. 

Camden has long been noted for the superiority of its social 
advantages. It is a center of controlling influence in that section 
of the State in which it is located. Besides an excellent male 
High School, Camden has a Female Institute, which has long been 
established. Both at Snow Hill and Pine Apple are schools of 
superior grade. An excellent school is also sustained at Oak 
Hill. Wilcox is not excelled, perhaps, by any other county in 
Alabama, in educational institutions of superior order. 

Facilities for religious worship also abound throughout the 
county. There are many local industries, such as ginneries, grist 
and saw mills, and the number of these are annually increasing. 
For transportation, the people of the eastern end of the county 
rely mainly upon the Pensacola & Selma Railroad, which at pres- 
ent extends from Selma to Pine Apple. The Montgomery, 
Hayneville & Camden Railroad, which is now in course of con- 
struction and will soon be in operation, is another important 
thoroughfare. 

The Mobile & Birmingham Railroad, which has just been com- 
pleted, traverses the western portion of the county. This has 
awakened great interest, as it furnishes this fertile section with 
an outlet to New Orleans and other Gulf ports. It also brings 
it into connection with the great railway systems at Selma, Mont- 
gomery and Birmingham. The Camden, Hayneville & Montgom- 
ery Railroad will soon be in operation. 

The Alabama River is an important channel of commerce to a 
large section of Wilcox county. This is regarded as one of the 
finest waterways in the South, and in more prosperous days sup- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 159 



ported some of the most magnificent steamers found upon Amer- 
ican rivers. 

A telephonic line links together Camden and Snow Hill, where 
it connects with the Western Union Telegraph Company. An- 
other line has been constructed from Camden via Clanton, Prai- 
rie Bluff to Catherine, on the Mobile & Birmingham Railroad. 
The Vicksburg & Brunswick Railroad is projected through Wil- 
cox, and is expected to pass the town of Camden. 

Lands may be purchased in the county at prices ranging from 
$2 to $25, depending, of course, upon the locality and the fertility 
— the average price being from $3 to $5 per acre. 

So eager are the people to have thrifty and energetic settlers 
locate in their midst, that they are willing to offer extraordinary 
inducements in the sale of lands and homes. 

There are 1,000 acres of government land in Wilcox still 
untaken. 

Detailed information concerning the county will be cheerfully 
furnished by Hon. Sol. D. Bloch, Camden, Ala. 



DALLAS COUNTY. 



*^HIS county was formed in 1818, and named after Mr. Alex- 
ander J. Dallas, of Pennsylvania. Lying in the very heart 

l^ of the great Cotton Belt, and enjoying to the fullest all the 
favorable conditions belonging to this famous section, Dallas 
stands in the van of the counties belonging to the great common- 
wealth of Alabama. 

It has an area of 980 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 48,433; population in 1890, 49,350. White, 
8,016; colored, 41,334. 

Area planted in cotton, 135,048 acres; in corn, 45,373 acres; 
in oats, 6,975 acres; in wheat, 1 acres; in rye, 40 acres; in tobacco, 
2 acres. 

Cotton production — 42,819 bales. 

The surface of Dallas county is undulating. In the northeast- 



160 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



ern corner of the county is found prevailing pine lands, which are 
chiefly devoted to the lumber interest. This region is specially 
noted for its health, its clear flowing streams and its excellent 
pine timber. As it is becoming more populous it is being more 
and more devoted to agricultural pursuits. Cotton and corn are 
found to do well in that section. North Dallas is elevated, and is 
well adapted to farming and stock-raising. The soils upon the 
table lands are red and gray. Passing the hill country, toward 
the center, we reach the sandy lands, which prevail for a consid- 
erable distance, broken only by the streams which traverse it in 
several directions. In the western portion of the county is the 
famous canebrake region, which, for favorableness of surface and 
productiveness of soil, can not be excelled. Lower down, upon 
the western border, is found variable soils, and a variety of forest 
growth and field vegetation. 

The lands along the Alabama, after that river emerges from 
the sand region, in which Selma is located, are famous for their 
fertility. Upon the terraces, which exist after the river bottoms 
are passed, the lands are level and susceptible of a high degree 
of cultivation. 

In no portion of the country are there found barren soils. 
Even in the sandy regions are produced the finest vegetables and 
fruits. The value of its soils will be appreciated when it is stated 
that Dallas produces more cotton than any other county in the 
State. The extensive bottoms which skirt the Alabama Eiver, 
and the large creeks which penetrate the county, as well as the 
canebrake regions and the loamy uplands, are almost altogether 
devoted to cotton. Corn, oats and sweet potatoes are also exten- 
sively produced. 

Of late years much attention is being given to the production 
of hav. Vast hay farms are to be found in the most fertile por- 
tions of the county. Consequent upon this is the attention 
bestowed upon stock. In some instances cotton has been wholly 
abandoned, and productive farms are devoted to stock. It is 
proving so lucrative that there are annual accessions to the ranks 
of stock-raisers. These stiff, limey soils are admirably suited to 
the production of grasses and clovers. 

The growth of the forests is pine (yellow and short-leaf), the 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 161 



different oaks, chestnut, hickory, gums, beech, ash and cedar. 
Fruits thrive moderately well, such as apples, peaches and pears. 
Plums do remarkably well, and so do grapes, the domestic ber- 
ries and watermelons. 

The principal streams are the Alabama and Cahaba Rivers, Big 
Mulberry, Beech, Bogue Chitta, Big Swamp, Mush and Cedar 
Creeks. Artesian wells abound in different parts of Dallas, 
affording an undiminished supply of water. 

The county is highly favored in its numerous lines of transpor- 
tation, being penetrated by the Selma & Pensacola, Mobile & 
Birmingham, the Selma & New Orleans, East Tennessee, Virginia 
& Georgia, Western of Alabama, Cincinnati, Selma, & Mobile 
Railroads, and the Alabama River. Commercial outlets are thus 
afforded to every point of the compass. The Chicago & Pensa- 
cola, Grand Trunk and the Atlanta & Atlantic Railroads are new 
lines now in contemplation. One of the purposes of their con- 
struction is to bring Selma into connection with the great outly- 
ing mineral regions. 

SELMA. 

Selma is the fourth in size of the cities of Alabama. It has a 
population of about 12,000. For many years it has been noted 
for its wealth, refinement and morals. It reposes upon the high 
banks of the Alabama River and commands a magnificent view 
for many miles. One of the notable features of the city is the 
number of its artesian wells. It has more than one hundred 
within its limits, many of which possess curative properties. The 
city is in annual receipt of from 75,000 to 100,000 bales of cotton. 
Its industries embrace foundries, cotton mills, cotton seed oil and 
cake mills, broom factory, sash, door and blind manufactory, fer- 
tilizer and ice factories, besides minor industries. 

Philip Armour has an immense establishment here for the dis- 
tribution of meats. The city is lighted by gas and electricity. It 
is penetrated by a dummy line that reaches all the business 
places and hotels. Selma has a public school system second to 
that of no other Southern city. It has nice churches for the 
white population and as many for the colored. The city is 
favored with a magnificent iron drawbridge, which spans the 



162 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Alabama River upon the South. Besides Selma there are other 
points of interest, among which may be named, Orrville, Sum- 
merfielcl, Pleasant Hill and Richmond. All these places support 
good schools. An excellent public school system prevails through- 
out the county. 

Those wishing to purchase lands in one of the most favored and 
fertile regions of Alabama may secure them in Dallas county for 
prices ranging from $3 to $25 per acre. Numerous schemes are 
on foot to induce capital and immigration to the county. The 
kindest attention will be shown those who wish to secure homes. 

Advantages will be found in the fertility of the soils, the cheap- 
ness of lands, the abundance of timber, the ease of transportation, 
and the law-abiding disposition of the people. 

More productive lands caunot be found in the State than in 
this county, and perhaps no other affords greater advantages in 
the price of lands It is in the heart of the great Cotton Belt. 

Respecting its chief city, Selma, there is no point in Alabama 
more highly favored in location for the establishment of manu- 
factories. From this point to the waters of the Gulf there is 
deep water throughout the year. Connected with the great min- 
eral fields above, and Selma would become an important shipping 
point of the valuable ores of Alabama to the port of Mobile. 

The geographical location of Dallas county is such as to favor 
the prediction that it will prove one of the most active centers of 
industry in the State. 

The public lands of the county have all been taken. 



PERRY COUNTY. 



fERRY was created in 1819 and named in honor of Commo- 
dore Oliver Hazard Perry, of the United States Navy. 
Here, as throughout this portion of the Great Black Belt, 
are all the evidences of bounty in the deep, rich soil, the increas- 
ing flow of streams, the green-clad hills and forests of towering 
timber. Under a perfect system of labor, these black soils of 
Perry county would yield astonishingly. For many years in cul- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 163 



tivation, these fruitful lands never refuse to bring forth abund- 
antly where the planter is diligent iu sowing and reaping. The 
county has an area of 790 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 30,74 L; population in 1890, 29,332. 
White, 6,812; colored, 22,520. 

Area planted in cotton, 79,739 acres; in corn, 41,858 acres; in 
oats, 6,920 acres; in wheat, 16 acres; in rye, 14 acres; in 
tobacco, 1 acre. 

Cotton production — 24,873 bales. 

The northern end of the couuty is of an uneven surface. The 
central and southern portions are level. Iu the northern portion 
there are brown loam uplands; in the southern, there is the gen- 
uine prairie soil. These are the only two characteristics attach- 
ing to the lands of the county. Both these soils possess very 
great inherent fertility. Upon the highest of the hill lands in 
north Perry there is a prevalence of sand, in which grows chiefly 
the yellow or long- leaf pine. Descending to the base of these 
hills, or rather to the uplands, we find, as was said above, a brown 
loam soil. Beneath this fertile surface there is a red loam sub- 
soil, said to be twenty or twenty-five feet thick. The prairies 
proper, which embrace the central and southern portions of Perry, 
are broken here and there by sandy elevations, upon which are 
usually located the towns and settlements of the county. These 
knolls are admirably suited for the location of homes, as they 
place one beyond the reach of prairie mud, and at the same time 
furnish him with an abundant supply of excellent water. Corn 
and cotton are the chief crops, and their yield is oftentimes 
amazing. 

Like many in the adjoining counties, the farmers of Perry are 
turning their attention to the remunerative pursuit of raising 
stock. Excellent stock farms can now be seen in the county, 
superior grasses are being cultivated, and the profits annually re- 
alized are most gratifying. These lands cannot be surpassed for 
purposes of stock raising. 

Many delicious fruits are grown in the county. Peaches, pears, 
figs, and grapes, together with strawberries and watermelons, are 
the principal fruits produced. The timbers of the county are the 
usual upland oaks, hickory, short and long-leaf or yellow pine. 



164 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Besides many smaller streams, there are the Cahaba river, and 
the Washington, Legreon, Blue Cat, Brush, Belcher's Five Mile, 
Big, and Bogne Chitta Creeks in Perry. A bounteous supply of 
water is furnished from the numerous and copious wells which 
are found in every portion of the county. 

Marion, the county-seat, with a population of near 3,000, Union- 
town, and Hamburg are the points of interest. Marion has been 
long and justly famous for her institutions of learning. The 
Marion Military Institute is located here. Another magnificent 
school is the Judson Female Institute, The latter school is op- 
erated under the auspices of the Baptist denomination of the 
State. The Marion Seminary, another college for female educa- 
tion and an institution of merit, is located in this highly-favored 
town. The society of the place is unexcelled in the South, and 
the healthfulness of the location good. The Methodist, Presby- 
terian, Baptist, and other denominatious sustain excellent 
churches. Near Uniontown is one of the Agricultural Experi- 
mental stations of the State, in successful operation. Railroad 
facilities are enjoyed through the lines of the Cincinnati, Selma 
and Mobile, and the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia systems. 

But the most important highway of transportation will be the 
Mobile & Birmingham Eailroad, which is now being built from 
Mobile to Birmingham, and other points North. This road will 
pierce the center both of the most productive agricultural and 
mineral sections of our State. 

The removal of the natural obstructions from the Cahaba River 
will also afford numerous advantages to this section. 

Immigrants could now purchase lands in Perry county upon 
the most favorable terms, not exceeding in price ^5 or ^15 per 
acre. Like the adjacent counties, there is a prevalence of marl 
in different portions of Perry. The discovery of these deposits 
has had a tendency to increase the valuation of lands. It is be- 
lieved that these beds are sufficiently thick to encourage their 
development for commercial purposes. Whether this be true or 
not, there is no doubt that they will be of immense profit to the 
lands of the county. Traces of kaolin and other minerals have 
been discovered. The people of Perry county would extend a 
most cordial welcome to thrifty immigrants. In the county are 



ALABAMA AS IT 18. 165 



520 acres of public or government land awaiting occupation by 

settlers. 



AUTAUGA COUNTY. 




'UTAUGA county was created in 1818, and named from the 
Indian word aufaugi, signifying a dumpling, meaning 
^^ plenty. This is quite as suggestive to-day as it was when 
the Indian rudely cultivated his patches about his wigwam, real- 
izing plenty from the generous soil in which this region abounds. 
From the first settlement of the county, in the earliest days of the 
present century, to this time, mauy of the best soils of Autauga 
have been subjected to the most exhaustive means of cultivation, 
and yet they seem as fruitful to-day as at any time in the past. 
Not only has Autauga held her place amid the most progressive 
agricultural counties, but it was one of the pioneer counties of 
the State in the manufactures. 

The county has an area of 660 square miles. 
Population in 1880, 13,108; population in 1890, 13,330. 
White, 4,796; colored, 8,534. 

Area planted in cotton, 34,458 acres; in corn, 19,463; in oats, 
1,987 acres; in wheat, 15 acres; in rye, 31 acres; in tobacco, 1 
acre. 

Cotton Production — 10,431 bales. 

The surface of Autauga is undulating. In the northern portion 
there is a pine district, which is broken into hills and valleys- 
The forests are thronged almost altogether by the towering yellow 
pine, in the midst of which is slightly interspersed a stunted 
growth of black-jack oaks. The commercial value of this yellow 
pine is enormous, and will, one day, be a source of great revenue 
to the county. The lands of this region are thickly overspread 
with luxuriant herbage, embracing various wild grasses, clovers 
and other plants, which afford superior pasturage. The deep 
subsoil of clay makes this a region favorable to the growth of 
fruits. The lands which skirt the streams in this portion of Au- 
tauga are good farming lands. Further down in the county the 
lands increase in their fertility, and one finds the farms multiply- 



166 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



ing the further South he goes. Sandy surface soil is still a pre- 
dominating feature, but many of the lands lie well and are favor- 
able to cultivation, both because they are level and because they 
are easily tilled. In this portion are found hammock lands, which 
lie along the streams. The table-lands are valuable for farming 
because of their deep clay foundation. In the southern portion 
of Autauga the lands grow more prolific, and in some places ex- 
ceedingly fertile. Here are found what are called second-bottom 
or river-hammock lands. Here again is found a district of that 
fertile land which follows the deep rolling Alabama in its wind- 
ings to the sea. The famous river forms the southern boundary 
of the county, and its rich alluvial bottoms yield splendid har- 
vests. The lime lands in the southwestern part of the county are 
superior for the production of cotton. Thus it will be seen that 
the soils of Autauga range from the richest alluvial to those found 
upon the surface of the pine hills, including the red or brown 
loam table-lands of the county. The soils favor a diversified field 
industry, and, perhaps, no county furnishes a more thrifty and 
contented population than does Autauga. They produce for com- 
merce and home consumption cotton, corn, oats, wheat, rye, rice, 
potatoes, sorghum and sugar-cane. Many of these were at first 
planted only cautiously and as experiments, but they are produc- 
tive and contribute so much to the happiness and welfare of the 
people that they are rapidly becoming staples. All the garden 
and orchard products that flourish in southern soil are easily pro- 
duced in this county. Peaches, apples, plums, pears, grapes, figs 
and pomegranates are ordinary luxuries. Principal among its 
timbers are white and chestnut oak, shell-bark hickory, ash, 
poplar, sweet gum, beech, maple, cedar, cypress, and vast districts 
of pine. 

The water supply of the county is abundant, there being many 
streams, springs, and wells in every part of its territory. The 
main streams are the Alabama River, Big and Little Mulberry, 
Swift, Beaver, Nolan's Whitewater, Bear, and Autauga Creeks. 
Flowing through such lands as have been described above, these 
streams enhance their value for the production of stock. This 
industry is assuming greater prominence every year. Wool grow- 
ing is fast resolving itself into one of the industries of the county. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 167 



These swift and deep streams are favorable also to the manufac- 
turers. For many miles along Autauga Creek there are the most 
favorable locations for manufactories. This is true of other streams 
of the county. Appreciating this fact, Daniel Pratt, one of the 
pioneer manufacturers of the South, built a cotton mill upon one 
of the streams of the county as early as 1846. This has been 
followed by others, and to-day there are the following manufac- 
turing interests in different parts of Autauga : Prattville Mills, 
Autaugaville Factory, Planters' Factory, and Lehman Mills. The 
Alabama River flows along its southern border, the East Tennes- 
see, Virginia & Georgia Railroad also penetrates it in the west, 
and the Louisville & Nashville railroad cuts across the north- 
eastern portion of the county; and these furnish the means of 
transportation. With an increase of such facilities, the county is 
in position to take a long stride forward. Principal among the 
thrifty little towns that dot the county over may be mentioned 
Prattville, the county-seat, with a population of 1,400, Autauga- 
ville, Kingston and Mulberry. These are thrifty centers and 
have good educational and church advantages. Common schools 
are sustained throughout the county. 

Lands may be purchased at as low figures as $1.60 per acre; or, 
in highly favored localities, it will cost from $8 to $15 per acre. 
Since the recent discovery of marl deposits, the lands are more 
highly prized. These marls have not as yet been developed, but 
should they prove of no commercial value, they will be of great 
practical advantage in the enrichment of the surface soils. Immi- 
grants would meet every encouragement in seeking homes in 
Autauga county. 

There are 640 acres of government land to be had in the 
county. 



168 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



LOWNDES COUNTY. 

STABLISHED in 1830, this county was named in honor of 
Hon. William Lowndes, of South Carolina, It has long 
been noted for productiveness of its lands, and is regarded 
one of the best agricultural districts in the South, Prior to the 
war the planters of Lowndes made immense fortunes from farm- 
ing upon its fertile cotton fields. Though in use many years, the 
lands remain unimpaired in their productiveness. The county 
needs only the hands of system and diligence to direct and urge 
the industries suited to the capabilities of its soils to place it 
alongside the most advanced sections of our planting interests. 
Like all other localities of the famous Cotton Belt, Lowndea county 
has shared in the shrinkage of the valuation of lands. This is 
mainly due to the destruction of an organized labor system con- 
sequent upon the emancipation of the slaves. Its lands are well 
adapted to the employment of improved implements of labor. 
The area of the county is 740 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 31,176; population in 1890, 31,550. 
White, 4,563; colored, 26,987. 

Area planted in cotton, 113,341 acres; in corn, 51,080 acres; in 
oats, 4,591 acres. 

Cotton Production — 40,430 bales. 

The surface of Lowndes is rolling. The whole of the county 
lies within the prairie belt, still there is a fair proportion of up- 
land soils. Along the table-lands are found sandy loam soils; 
in the extensive bottoms which prevail along the river and the 
numerous streams are found dark loam soils, while upon the 
prairies proper and the flanks of the lime-hills exist the soils 
which have a great admixture of lime. While the prevailing sur- 
face of Lowndes is rolling, there are many precipitous hills in the 
southern portion. The presence of lime in the clay makes the 
roads mirey during the wet seasons. This feature, connected 
with that extreme southwestern portion, has won it the local name 
of "Little Texas." But this constitutes but a fractional part of 
this magnificent agricultural region. A feature belonging largely 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 169 



to the first bottom soils is that they are sandy but derive vast 
benefits from the underlying formations of lime. Here, as else- 
where in the prairie region, there are occasional interventions of 
sandy knolls, which furnish locations for houses and settlements, 
and also an abundance of good water. 

The main crops grown in Lowndes are cotton, corn, oats, sweet 
and Irish potatoes, millet and sugar-cane. The black lands are 
usually devoted to the production of corn, while the sandy lands 
are employed for raising cotton ; but the red lands produce both 
equally well. Many of these lands are well adapted to pasturage 
purposes. Numerous grasses flourish, some of which are indi- 
genous and others imported. These, together with the varieties 
of clover and the dense brakes of cane, which prevail along the 
streams and in the marshy low lands make this one of the most 
desirable sections for stock-raising. This consideration is enhanced 
by the fact that the winters in this latitude are brief and mild, and 
stock does not have to be so tenderly cared for during the cold 
season as in sections further north. Pintlala, Big Swamp, Cedar, 
and Dry Creeks, with numerous tributaries, flow across the county. 
It is along these streams that much of the richest land of the 
county is found. 

Scattered throughout Lowndes are broad belts of valuable tim- 
ber, comprising several varieties of oak, hickory, long and short- 
leaf pine, elm, ash, poplar, walnut, sycamore, gum, beech, cedar, 
mulberry, and chestnut. Points of interest are Hayneville, the 
county-seat, with a population of several hundred; Lowndesboro, 
Benton, Fort Deposit, and Letohatchie. Good schools are found 
in almost all the centers of population, while a common school 
system provides educational advantages for all classes. 

Transportation is afforded by the Louisville & Nashville Eail- 
road, the Montgomery & Selma Eailroad, and the Alabama 
Eiver. 

A new line is surveyed through the county from Montgomery 
to Camden. It is expected to penetrate the heart of the county, 
touching at Hayneville. 

Lands may be purchased for from $3 to $20 per acre. 

Desiring the develowment of the inherent resources of the 



170 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



county, the people are quite favorable to immigration, and will 
offer rare bargains to those desiring superior farming lands. 
There are no goverumenr lands in the county. 



MONTGOMERY COUNTY. 



^^^HIS county was organized as far back as 1816, and named 
S^ife in honor of Major Lemuel P. Montgomery, of Virginia. 
^^^S^ It is one of the foremost in the Southern States in the pro- 
duction of such staples as cotton and corn. Located in the great 
agricultural belt, and enjoying numerous natural facilities of the 
highest order, its prosperity through a long series of years has 
been uninterrupted. Montgomery, the county-seat, is noted as 
being also the capitol of the State since 1846, and as being the 
first capitol of the seseding States in 1861. 

The county has an area of 740 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 52,356; population in 1890. 56,172. 
White, 14,682; colored, 41,490. 

Area planted in cotton, 122,526 acres; in corn, 49,960 acres; 
in oats, 5,608 acres; in rye, 29 acres; in tobacco, 5 acres. 

Cotton Production — 45,860 bales. 

The favorable location of this county on the Alabama River, 
which affords navigation to the Gulf of Mexico, and the great fer- 
tility of its soil, at an early period attracted the attention of enter- 
prising capitalists from all sections. North and South, and its 
lands were rapidly taken up as they were thrown upon the market 
by the United States government. The pioneer settlers prospered 
in all the branches of business open to them. Especially was this 
so with the agriculturists. The rich river bottoms, skirted by 
fertile red uplands, studded with large hickories, red oaks, poplars, 
etc., often clad to their very tops by cliuging grape vines, merg- 
ing into broad prairies of great fertility, on which the wild grasses 
often grow from sis to seven feet in height, furnishing food for 
numerous herds of cattle — it was indeed a land fliwing with milk 
and honey. The errors and indifference growing out of the ease 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 171 



and luxury of its ever prosperous people, have changed this nat- 
ural fertility and scenery to one less fascinating to the new comers. 
But "there is life in the old land yet," and there is offered a more 
real and brighter promise to the enterprising and thoughtful man 
than ever before. 

The hardships and privations attending the first settlers — the 
clearing away of the dense forests — the difficulty of procuring 
corn for bread, often having to transport it many miles on horse- 
back through forests infested with hostile Indians, and grinding 
the same by hand, the encountering of sickness incident to new 
countries, and many other dangers and discomforts, have passed 
away, and the new-comer now meets an orderly, law-abiding peo- 
ple, enjoying all the social comforts that society cun offer, and all 
the conveniences to facilitate trade and travel. 

The actual cost of reducing lands to their present state of cul- 
tivation would not fall short of twenty dollars per acre in addition 
to the original cost of the land, which, in many instances, was 
from three to four times the present price, while they can now be 
purchased at from $3 to $20 per acre at any portion of the county 
not contiguous to the city. Skill and industry will, at less cost 
than was required to reduce them to cultivation, restore these 
lands to more than their original fertility, as has been fully dem- 
onstrated in numerous instances. The 400 to 500 square miles of 
prairie soil in the county is underlaid at depths practicable for 
utilization, with a strata of bones and shells of marine animals, 
containing lime, potash, phosphorus, and, in fact, all the mineral 
ingredients of plant food. The other requisites for successful 
fertilization can be obtained from stock pens, cotton seed, and by 
turning under cow peas or other green crops. 

There is very little waste land in the county. 

The money value of its agricultural products for the year 1860 
exceeded that of any county in Illinois or Indiana, but the besom 
of destruction and demoralization incident to all wars, swept over 
it, and the census of 1870 shows that the value of the same pro- 
ducts was only 32 per cent, of that of the previous decade, and 
real estate was depreciated in a still greater ratio. The produc- 
tion has since 1870 about doubled, and the prices of lauds 
enhanced in a like degree. 



172 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



All the crops of the North can be more profitably produced 
here, and still more profitable crops raised that can only be brought 
to maturity in hot houses in that laitude. At least two-thirds of 
the tillable land of the county are devoted to the production of 
cotton. 

Cotton, corn, wheat, rye, oats, barley, sugar-cane, tobacco, 
indigo, field peas, and the grasses, all grow as profitable field crops. 
The cabbage, melons of all sorts, squash, cucumber, tomato, okra, 
Irish and sweet potato, ground peas, Ecglish peas, beans, onions, 
celery, asparagus, and all varieties of garden truck are easily and 
profitably raised. The peach, pear, apple, quince, fig, plum, nec- 
tarine, pomegranate, apricot, grape, and the great variety of ber- 
ries, some of which are indigenous to this section, all grow to 
perfection and are saleable at good prices. 

On a hill about ten miles from the capitol, sixty-three annual 
crops of fruit are said to have been raised, with but little atten- 
tion and labor, without a single failure. The writer saw, a few 
days ago, about five bushels of very small, inferior pears delivered 
to a purchaser who paid two dollars and a half per bushel for 
them, and yet the people give these more profitable crops but lit- 
tle attention. If 100 pear trees were well cultivated, they would 
yield from five to ten bushels each, or from $1,250 to $2,500 per 
annum for the 100 trees, and so with many other kinds of fruits. 
In from two to three years the peach, tig and grape will bear fruit, 
and their cultivation would open a certain road to fortune. 

The mortality of the county, including the city of Montgomery, 
is about 12 per 1,000 only. 

The winters are so mild that it is not necessary to house stock, 
and the laborer can pursue his field operations throughout the 
year. The rains are abundant for the luxuriant groM'th of crops, 
and no devastating storm has ever visited the county. The high- 
est speed attained by the wind du/ing the existence of the weather 
bureau in the city of Montgomery, was 48 miles per hour, and 
then only of a few minutes duration. The average speed for each 
year varies from four to six miles per hour. In the hottest days 
of summer the thermometer never records so high a temperature 
as is experienced at the North, and the heat is tempered by cool- 
ing breezes from the Gulf of Mexico. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 173 



The city of Montgomery is the capitol of the county and State 
and is situated on the Alabama River, a fes^ miles below the 
junction of the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers, the latter forming 
the northern boundary of the county. The junction of these two 
rivers forms the Alabama, which is navigable for steamboats all 
the year round. Montgomery has a population of 30,000, show- 
ing an increase of 1(^0 per cent, in the last ten years, with a pros- 
pect of continuing this rate of improvement in the future. 

THE CITY OF MONTGOMERY. 

Montgomery, the capital of Alabama, is a beautiful and well- 
equipped city of thirty thousand inhabitants. It has grown to 
its present proportions mainly from its trade with the farmers and 
lumbermen of Central, Eastern and Southern Alabama, though its 
merchants sell many goods in Southeast Georgia and West Florida. 
Its manufactures are principally of recent growth, and their ter- 
ritory is much wider. 

The purpose of this article has nothing to do with the historical 
wealth of the town. Fortunately in this year 1893, the thoughts 
of her people are bent on the present and the future. The best 
service, then, which printer's ink can do for her, is to enable the 
great mass of people, North and South, who are seeking homes 
and investments in the fast developing State of Alabama, to know 
what manner of city Montgomery is, what her resources and ad- 
vantages are, and what prospect stretches before her. In the 
first place then, 

MONTGOMERY 

is the largest and wealthiest city in the agricultural district of 
Alabama. 

Her population is 30,000. 

HER DEATH RATE 

varies from 8 to 12 per thousand per annum. Indeed so remark- 
able is the health of the city, that life insurance companies long 
ago exempted her from the specially high premium in force for 



174- ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



this latitude and put her in the same category with the most 
favored localities in the North. The progressive administration 
of her present mayor, is putting in a complete system of sanitary 
sewerage, embodying all the improvements hitherto made in the 
well-known system of the famous Waring. 

The health of Montgomery is largely due to her 

SUPERB SITE, 

the city being situated on an amphitheatre of hills of easy grade, 
the basin of which is a nearly level space large enough for the 
business portion of a town twice its size. The residence begin at 
the edges of the basin and stretch back over the hills, covering a 
section of the level and broken area beyond their top. All face 
the Alabama Kiver, the bluff being so high as to prevent over- 
flowing and exempt the city from all malarial influences. Thus 
the city is not only well drained in every part, but the beauty of 
the place is second to none in the country. 

THE CAPITOL BUILDING, 

the most prominent object in Montgomery, is on an eminence in 
the eastern part of the city, which overlooks the town and the 
surrounding country. From the upper stories of the building, 
the landscape unfolded to the view embraces the surrounding 
country, hills and river and level plains, for a distance of twenty 
miles. 

Montgomery's equipment as a city iocludes every convenience 
and luxury known to the people of New York. 

HER CITY BUILDING, 

is a handsome three story brick structure with market house, and 
a separate building for police headquarters and city jail adjoining. 
The offices, and especially the council chamber, are fitted in a 
style that exceeds anything south of Baltimore. After seeing 
the outfit of the city government, including the prison, Charles 
Dudley Warner, the distinguished philanthropist and writer, said 
they were the best he had seen in the South, and betokened an 
order and a system "a humanity" that one finds only in a few of 
the oldest and most advanced towns of his own New England. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 175 



THE POST OFFICE, 

is an elegant brick structure recently built by the United States 
Government. It contains the offices and rooms of the United 
States Courts, Internal Revenue Bureau, Public Land Depart- 
ment, etc. 

Montgomery is a 

WELL LIGHTED 

city, having gas and electricity, both of which are used for light- 
ing the streets and public squares, as well as the houses. A clus- 
ter of four electric lights on the tower of the City Building, and 
another on the dome of the Capitol, are visible at night from a 
distance of twenty miles around. 

In the matter of local transit Montgomery has little more to 
wish for. She is a compactly built city, and fifteen miles of 

ELECTRIC STREET RAILWAY, 

connect every part of the town with the square in the centre, 
where all the lines meet. All the cars are operated by electric 
motors, driven by a current sent through overhead wires from a 
central station. A speed of six miles an hour is attained and the 
cost of operating is one fifth that ot horse power. The system is 
that of Mr. Van Depoele, of Chicago. 

OF THEATRES, 

we have two, both modern in their construction aud arrangement. 
Montgomery is on the great Southern circuit, and during the 
season the best attractions in the country are seen on our boards. 

THE HOTELS, 

of the city are seven in number. The leading hotels are the 
Exchange and Windsor, the others being principally lodging 
houses. The accommodations are as good as can be found any- 
where, and the capacity equal to every demand that has ever 
been made upon them. 

THE CHURCHES, 

are nine in number, including the Jewish Synagogue. These 
are Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterians, Catholics and Episcopal. 
Besides the colored people have a dozen nice houses of worship. 



176 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



SCHOOLS. 

In the matter of schools Montgomery has much to boast, much 
to be desired. In this industrial age no city can rest content 
without institutions where technical or industrial training is in 
reach of all her children. This addition to our school system 
will not be long in coming, but barring this need our school 
facilities are ample. A graded system of public schools afford 
free education to all children between the age of seven and 
twenty-one. The amouat expended each year is about $30,000, 
some of it from the general State fund and some from special 
local taxation. 

There are five large and commodious school buildings, three 
for white and two for colored pupils. Two of the white school 
houses are of brick, one of them being a model structure erected 
last year at a cost of $30,000. One of the colored schools is also 
of brick, built years ago for a college. 

Besides the public schools, the Hamner Hall, a college for girls, 
is an old and well conducted institution under the charge of Miss 
Everhart, a most accomplished lady. Besides, a number of pri- 
vate schools, primary and classical, give opportunities to those 
who are able to pay for a more careful training than is afforded 
by the great public school system. McCarthy's Bu&iness College 
teaches the art of book- keeping to boys and girls, keeping open 
both day and night. 

Some cities may be as well supplied with water as Montgomery, 
but none better. A complete system of works, owned by the 
Capital City Water Company, and built a few years ago, afford 
5,000,000 gallons per day of artesian water. The wells are in 
the city limits and are about 700 feet deep. This water is not 
only admirable for all manufacturing purposes, but needs nothing 
to make it the best drinking water. All the people use it for 
drinking purposes, drawn directly from the faucets in their houses. 
Over thirty miles of mains carry the water to every part of the 
city. The natural pressure from the stand pipe throws a stream 
over the highest buildings in the city, and on every business 
house a half dozen streams can be concentrated from the well 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 177 



arranged system of fire plugs, thus afEordiDg all the protection 
from fire that the utmost plentitude of water can insure. 

The prices are ten per cent, below the average of water in the 
cities of the country which are supplied by water companies. 
On her pure, wholesome, abundant water Montgomery makes a 
special and peculiar claim as to something rare and of priceless 
value. 

TRADE. 

The total volume of the trade of Montgomery is about $30,- 
000,000 annually. It extends over a large area, embracing all the 
country in Alabama- from the Tennessee Valley to the Gulf, and 
portions of Georgia and Florida. The principal item of her trade 
is in cotton, of which the past year she received about 100,000 
bales. He receipts in good crop years go as high as 140,000 
bales. 

The next largest item is her grocery trade, in which she has 
invested over $1,500,000. The annual sales of her grocery mer- 
chants are nearly $7,000,000. 

The next largest item is her dry goods trade, amounting to 
nearly $3,000,000 annually. 

The tonnage of the goods delivered in Montgomery in a single 
year by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad is over 200,000; that 
of the other roads and the river carrying the total tonnage to 
about 300,000. 

The total tonnage of freight furnished by Montgomery to the 
boats and railroads, and received from them, is slightly in excess 
of 500,000 tons. 

MANUFACTURERS. 

Montgomery's principal growth in the past few years has been 
in the line of manufacturing. She is far from being the distinc- 
tively commercial city that she was in the recent past, more than 
one-fourth of her population now deriving its support from crea- 
tive industry. She has $2,000,000 invested in factories of various 
kinds. Except some minor industries the following is a list: 

One cotton mill. 
8 



178 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Three cotton seed oil mills. 

One flouring mill. 

One oil refinery. 

One cracker factory. 

Three grist mills. 

Five general wood working mills, including in their products 
sash, doors, blinds, etc. 

Six carriage and wagon factories, most of them small, but all 
turning out vehicles complete, and one making nearly all the large 
wagons used by the Southern Express Company. 

Six brick and tile works. 

One boiler works. 

Three foundries and machine shops. 

One candy factory. 

Two ice factories. 

One soap factory. 

One fertilizer factory. 

Two railroad car shops, 

One cigar factory. 

One furniture factory. 

One paper box factory. 

One sausage factory. 

One vinegar factory. 

One alcohol distillery. 

One iron furnace. 

Foar cotton ginneries. 

One brewery. 

The whole number is fifty, and there are twenty-five different 
varieties. The manufacturing spirit of Montgomery is thus de- 
veloping along the line of numerous small industries, giving em- 
ployment to all classes of labor. 

Perhaps to the above list should be added the two enormous 
cotton compresses, which during the cotton season are kept going 
night and day. 

As a cotton market Montgomery is fully equipped, having 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 179 



SEVEN WAREHOUSES, 

all of which are brick, and with a total storage capacity under 
shelter of 73,500 bales. The warehouses charge 50 cents a bale 
storage. 

The total cost of marketing a bale of cotton in Montgomery, if 
sold on the streets, is nothing. 

If stored in a warehouse and sold by a commission merchant, 
the cost is |1 per bale. 

The total amount of expense left in Montgomery by a bale 
of cotton, including warehouse charges, commission, weighing 
and compressing is $1.85 per bale. 

RAILROADS. 

Montgomery has six railroads, or rather three roads with lines 
I'unning out in six directions. 8he is on the main line of the 
great Louisville & Nashville, which connects her with the min- 
eral and timber districts on the North, and gives her a direct line 
to the great markets of Louisville, Cincinnati and St. Louis; and 
also directly connects her with the Gulf at three points, Mobile, 
New Orleans and Pensacola. 

The Georgia Central system has Hues running in from three 
directions, the Montgomery & Eufaula running up from the south- 
east, the Western running from Atlanta and passing on to Selma 
and a junction with the Queen & Crescent route in West Alabama. 

The Alabama Midland brings Montgomery into relations with 
the newly developed region of Southeast Alabama and Florida. 

These roads give her through sleepers to Washington and 
New York, to Cincinnati via Louisville, and to New Orleans, and 
of course to all intermediate points. They give her connection 
with the great markets of the country and the lowest freight 
rates, and in addition give her good command of the territory 
from which she draws her cotton and in which she sells her 
goods. 

RIVER. 

Montgomery is on the Alabama River, navigable for sixty miles 
above, and for over 400 below. It connects her all the year round 



180 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



with Mobile, the great seaport of Alabama. On this river ply- 
three steamers a week, and in the busy season four. The mer- 
chants of Montgomery have a Trade Company, which operates a 
line of boats in their special interest. It operates in connection 
with the New York & Mobile Steamship Line, by which goods 
are brought from New York, on through bills of lading. 

It also gives through bills of lading on cotton to New York 
and Liverpool via Mobile. 

These rates by water are of course below those which the rail- 
roads give to an interior point not on a navigable river, and 
serve not only to bring goods from the East to Montgomery, 
at a cost less than other inland cities can get them by rail, 
but have brought the railroad rate fourteen per cent, below that 
of her rivals which depend on railroads alone. 

Montgomery comes under the exception to the long and short 
haul clause of the inter- State commerce act. 

PARKS. 

Adjoining the city limits on the east is the extensive park of 
Highland Park Company. It is connected with the heart of the 
city by two lines of electric street railway, the time being about 
twenty minutes. The park is an extensive oak woods of sixty 
acres and a beautiful pine grove of about thirty acres. 
In the midst of the oak grove is a nice pavillion, and near by 
is the beginning of a zoological garden already containing a 
number of rare and curious animals. The park is lighted by 
electricity supplied from the company's own plant. Swings, 
lawn tennis and other simple amusements are provided. The 
Capital City Water Company furnish water. 

Riverside Park is on the opposite extreme of the city, and 
is the property of the Montgomery Land and Improvement 
Company, which is building a manufacturing suburb. To make 
it more attractive as a place of residence and also a resort for the 
town, about seventy-five acres have been reserved for park pur- 
poses. 

Montgomery counts as no small part of her attractions the 
grounds and buildings of the State Fair, held by the State Agri- 
cultural Society. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 181 



The city has filled a long felt want in building an infirmary, 
where the sick and destitute are attended free of cost. The best 
medical attention is bestowed, and only experienced nurses are 
employed. It is maintained by the contributions from the 
citizens. 

Generally speaking, many things can be said about the attrac- 
tiveness of Montgomery, and what she has to offer in a social 
way. But the above outline of her institutions, her facilities and 
equipment as a city shows that she is a completely developed city, 
and is prepared to give a home with all modern conveniences, in 
a town with all modern appliances, to whomsoever will come. It 
goes without the saying that she has telegraph and telephone 
facilities, a fine voluuteer fire department, express offices, etc. 



ELMORE COUNTY. 




LMORE county was formed in 1866, and named for Gen. 
John A. Elmore. The histoiic Tallapoosa, flowing down 
from the north, makes a great bend and thus forms two 
sides of the county. Its resources are varied, and its facili- 
ties for manufacturing are unsurpassed, if, indeed, they are not 
unequaled by any other county in Alabama. It embraces 630 
square miles. 

Population in 188U, 17,502; population in 1890, 21,732. 
White, 11,443; colored, 10,289. 

Area planted in cotton, 42,365 acres; in corn, 25 862 acres; in 
oats, 8,148 acres; iu wheat, 764 acres; in rye, 25 acres; in to- 
bacco, 1 acre. 

Coitoii Production — 16,871 bales. 

The surface of this county is generally rolling. The lands 
vary in appearance and in the merit of their soils. The gray 
lands have the predominancy in the county, and vary with the 
different localities. On the Coosa River, above Wetumpka, there 
are found narrow basins of good land, but out from these bottoms 
there are formed level plains which are generally covered with a 
sandy soil. On the side of the Coosa River, opposite the town of 



182 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



AVetumpka, there is an extended level plain which stretches away 
to the boundary of Autauga county. The character of the land 
belonging to this level stretch of country is a sandy surface with 
a stiff clay subsoil. This gives to the wagon-ways a perpetual 
firmness and renders hauling easy. Following along the Talla- 
poosa one finds a girt of superior lands which are excellent for 
the production of cotton and corn. Perhaps the best lands are 
found in the fork of the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers. These 
alluvial bottoms have been steadily planted for many years, and 
have yielded unceasingly heavy crops of cotton. The planters 
prize these river lands because of their capacity to produce the 
snowy staple more than any others in the county. 

The lands that lie above those just alluded to, and which are 
above the point of the annual overflow of the rivers, are also superb 
cotton lands, and are regarded the safest for the production 
of that staple. Of course, it must not be understood that 
the production of cotton is confined to these lands. In different 
parts of the county are brown loam and slaty soils, which yield 
splendid crops. 

The productions of the county which may be mentioned as staple 
are cotton, corn, wheat, oats, rice, peas, millet and sugar-cane. 

Elmoi'e has many magnificent pine forests. In consequence of 
these, a fine lumber and timber business long ago sprang up. 
Along its numerous streams of extensive water-power are found 
many large and flourishing mills. The vast domains of pine 
cover the great level tract of country stretching westward from 
Wetumpka to the utmost western boundary of the county. Very 
little shrubbery is here found, but there is a great variety of 
flowers, and many of them are found in plots or patches of great 
beauty. 

Fruits, domestic and wild, grow with great readiness in Elmore, 
and in most sections do remarkably well. They always thrive 
when planted upon sand-covered land, as beneath there is almost 
the universal prevalence of a clay subsoil. Pears, apples, figs, 
grapes, peaches, raspberries, and others do quite well. The pre- 
vailing timbers are oak, pine, hickory, beech, walnut, magnolia, 
dogwood, gum, and persimmon. Yellow ochre is the only mineral 
thus far discovored. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 183 



At Tallassee, on the Tallapoosa River, is the Tallassee Cotton 
Factory, which was, for many years, the largest mill of that 
character in the South. The falls in the river at this point fur- 
nish immense water-power, which is only slightly utilized. This 
is but one of the numerous sites favorable to the location of 
manufactories in the county. Splendid streams of water ramify 
the county in all directions. Among these are the Coosa and 
Tallapoosa Rivers, Shoal Weoka, Mill, Safkahatchee, Hatchee 
Chubbee, Corn, and Wallahatchee Creeks. These lesser streams 
find outlets through either the Coosa or Tallapoosa Rivers. 

The points of interest in the county are, Wetumpka, the county- 
seat, with a population of 1,500; and Tallassee, with about 1,600; 
and Robinson Springs. Wetumpka has long been noted as the 
location of the State penitentiary. The United States Government 
has recently begun at Wetumpka the construction of^Lock No. 31 
in the system of Locks and Dams for opening the Coosa River to 
navigation above that poiut. There remains but 68 miles of the 
river to be opened, viz., from AVetumpka to Lock No. 4, which is 
just below the Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad bridge. When 
completed there will be uninterrupted navigation from a point 
above Rome, Ga., to Il[obile, Ala., and Wetumpka, at the foot of 
the falls will utilize its immense water power and become a great 
manufacturing center. Tallassee is famous as a manufacturing 
center, and Robinson Springs, in former years, was a noted local 
resort for the elUe of Montgomery. It is extremely healthful, 
and the brace of its clime and its refreshing waters of freestone 
made it a place of great attraction. 

The educational advantages of the county are good, as are also 
facilities for the enjoyment of religious worship. The means of 
transportation are convenient. The LouisvilUe and Nashville 
Railroad runs through the county, a branch of which terminates 
in AVetumpka, while in the eastern end the AVestern Railroad is 
sufficiently near to be quite accessible. The Coosa River fur- 
nishes another cheap means of transportation to Montgomery and 
Selma upon the Alabama River, and the cities upon the Southern 
coast. 

Lands may be had from $1.50 to $15 per acre in the county. 
The government owns 1,000 acres of land subject to entry. 



184 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 




BULLOCK county: 

^STABLISHED in 1866, the coauty took its name from 
Colonel E. C. Bullock, of Eufaula. It is located in a 
region which enables it to command all the conditions 
favorable to prosperity. 

Its area comprises 660 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 29,066 ; population in 1890, 27,063. White, 
6,055; colored, 21,08. 

Area planted in cotton, 81,950 acres ; in corn, 51,708 acres ; in 
rye, 37 acres ; tobacco 1. 

Cotton Production — 30,547. 

Directly through the center of Bullock, from east to west, ex- 
tends a noted range of low hills, which are called Chuimenuggee 
Ridge. 

This forms the water-shed for the Tallapoosa River on the 
north, and the streams that flow into the Gulf on the south. On 
the north, this low range of hills has an abrupt descent into the 
prairie lands, which extend to the utmost limit of the county in 
that direction. On the south, the hills slope gradually away and 
loose themselves into plains. Bullock has a variety of soils, prin- 
cipal among which are the dark prairie lands, sandy hammocks, 
gray land, and the white chalky soils. In the northern end of 
the county are to be seen the black lime lauds and the post-oak 
prairies. „^ Together, they constitute a fertile belt, which streches 
across the county, having a width varying from five to ten miles. 
In the southern portion of the county, or that part which lies 
south of Chunnenuggee Ridge, there is a variety of soils, com- 
prising the^loam lands, the growth of which are short-leaf pine, 
oak and hickory, then again loam soils, with black-jack, as a pre- 
vailing growth, and still again, the thinner or pine lands. The 
last named soils cover about one-half of the southern territory, 
the other|two the remainder. 

The county produces cotton, corn, oats, rye, and sweet pota- 
toes as its staples. 

The section has. long been noted for its capacity to produce 
cotton especiall}^ and vast quantities of it are raised. But it is 
as well suited to the production of corn. The small grains are 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 185 



receiving more attention of late years. But fully one-half of the 
tillable soils are devoted to cotton. 

The forests support an abundance of such growth as pine, red, 
post and white oak, together with elm, poplar, gum, ash, hickory, 
walnut, chestnut, magnolia, cottonwood, maple and dogwood. 

The county is well watered, thoughout, being drained by such 
streams as Oakfuskee, Capiahatchee, Calibee, Cowike, Old Town, 
and Buckhorn Creeks. Artesian wells abound. The headwaters 
of Conecuh River are in this county. These streams generally 
abound in excellent fish. 

Union Sj)rings, the county-seat, and a thriving town of 2,200 
inhabitants, Midway, and Enon, are points of importance. 

Union Springs is situated on the Georgia Central Railroad, just 
midway between the cities of Montgomery and Eufaula. It is at 
the intersection of the Georgia Central and the Mobile & Girard 
Railroads. Through these channels of commerce, easy access is 
had with the cities of Montgomery, Eufaula, Columbus and Troy. 
It possesses superior school and church advantages, and has as 
excellent hotels as any point of the same size in the South. Sur- 
rounded by a superior agricultural region, it is a good cotton 
market. The other points named have also good churches and 
schools, as has every point in the county which has sufficient 
population. 

The county is highly favored with railway transportation, being 
penetrated by two railroads, viz : The Montgomery & Eufaula, 
or the Georgia Central, and the Mobile & Girard Railroad. 

Like most of the other counties in the great agricultural region 
of the State, no attention has heretofore been called to the capa- 
bilities of the soils, the healthfulness, and other numerous ad- 
vantages which are possessed by Bullock county. 

Lands, fertile as they are, and productive of crops in rapid 
rotation, are purchasable at amazingly low figures in the county. 
They may be bought for from $2.50 to $10 per acre. 

The people are highly favorable to such immigrants as Avould 
enhance the thrift of the county. 

There are in Bullock, only 40 acres of government land, which 
may be settled by those who desire its occupation under the 
entry act. 



186 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



MACON COUNTY. 

■HE above named county was formed in 1832, and named for 
J Nathaniel Macon, Esq., of North Carolina. The count}' has 
T^\* long been noted for the intelligence and thrift of its inhab- 
itants. Prior to the war its centers of interest were abodes of 
wealth, intelligence, and refinement. The county has been grad- 
ually rallying from the prostrating influences of the war, and is 
now assuming its wonted place among the best counties of the 
State. Its social and material advantages are vast, and, when 
combined, they furnish the county elements of advancement 
inferior to none of the agricultural counties of the great Cotton 
Belt. The area of Macon county embraces 630 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 17,371 ; population in 1890, 18,937 ; white, 
9,251 ; colored, 14,188. 

Area planted in cotton, 56,134 acres ; in corn, 26,803 acres ; in 
oats, 9,990 acres; in wheat, 73 acres; in rye, 7 acres. 

Cotton production, 19,099 bales. 

The general surface of the county is undulating, except in the 
northwest, which is inclined to hills ; but there are no elevations 
of any note within the territory of Macon. The lands, as a rule, 
lie quite well for drainage and cultivation. In the northern, 
northeastern, and northwestern portions of the county the soil 
is of a light, sandy character. Skirting the water courses, it is 
much more fertile and productive. In the southern, southeastern, 
and southwestern parts of the county the soils are very fine, 
being rich loam with clay, lime or sand predominating according 
to the locality. Usually speaking, the bottoms of the county are 
very fertile. While Chewacla creek, for the most part, winds its 
way through regions of pine, there are to be found bordering it 
lands of a blueish hue which are very productive. Perhaps the 
richest lands lie along Big Swamp creek. Thus it will be seen 
that a diversity of soils prevails throughout the entire county, 
and these give rise to a diversity of crops. Chief among the 
products of the farm are cotton, corn, potatoes, peas, wheat, oats, 
rye, millet, rice, sugar cane and peanuts. 

A favorable year witnesses a production of all these, and in 
profusion. Wild grasses and clovers grow sjDontaneously in the: 
waste places and upon lands that have been turned out. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 187 



There is very little trouble, therefore, to maintain stock which, 
running at large, is found to remain in excellent condition during 
almost the entire jea,r. Domestic grasses have as yet received 
but little attention. Swamp cane grows in rank profusion along 
the water courses, and sometimes serves to siistain stock during 
an entire winter. Fruits are easily grown in the soils of Macon 
— apples, pears, peaches, grapes, cherries, walnuts, plums, figs, 
quinces, pomegranates, ras]3berries, strawberries, and melons 
yield readily in proportion to the attention bestowed upon them. 
Many wild fruits are found in the old fields and along the edge of 
swamps and through the forests. These include blackberries, 
strawberries, dewberries, muscadines, chestnuts, etc. 

Through the swamps the towering oaks yield a vast abundance 
of mast, which serve to fatten the hogs during the fall and winter 
without the owners being subjected to the slightest expense. 
The county is watered by the Ufoupee, Chewacla, Calabee, Big 
Swamp, Cupiahatchee, and Oakfuskee creeks. The Tuskaloosa 
River sweeps through the northwestern corner. Many smaller 
streams exist, furnishing an abundant water supply to all parts 
of the county. The water from the springs and wells is pure and 
delightful. 

The timbers are, oak, hickory, pine, poplar, beech, red elm, 
gum, magnolia and maple. The forests are frequently drawn 
upon for the manufactories. 

In the northern end of the county are vast quarries of excellent 
granite. It has been pronounced the finest quality. These quar- 
ries have been partially developed, and a track of three miles 
graded from Notasulga, on the Western Railroad to the granite 
beds. Red ochre of good quality has been discovered on Red 
Creek. This is attracting considerable attention because of its 
abundance and quality. Near Cowles' Station, on the Western 
Railroad, the soil is admirably adapted to the production of fruit. 
A peach farm of twenty-five thousand trees has just been planted. 

There are two railroads which furnish transportation for the 
products of the county, viz : The Western Railroad, and the 
Tuskegee Narrow Guage. These serve to place the county into 
easy connection with the great lines which converge both at 
Montgomery and Atlanta. The towns of importance are, Tuske- 
gee, the count3-seat, with a population of 1,500, Notasulga and 
La Place. 



.188 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Tuskegee has long been famous as an educational seat. Here 
is located the Alabama Conference Female College, which is an 
institution of great merit, and the Alabama High School for boys 
and young men. At the other jjlaces named, are good schools, 
and indeed in every part of the county are good common schools. 
Churches exist in towns and county alike, affording facilities for 
religious worship. 

The moral tone of the society in Macon county is excellent. 

Persons wishing to locate in this favorable region, may pur- 
chase lands at nominal figures. In some portions, lands may be 
had at $1 per acre, while the best may be purchased for $10 per 
acre. A cordial greeting will be given settlers who desire to 
locate their homes in this county. Great natural advantages are 
offered, which are coupled with the social benefits already enu- 
merated. Under well directed energy, comfort, ease, and bounty 
may be secured upon the lands of Macon county. The county is 
without government land. 



EUSSELL COUNTY. 

^^i^HE county which bears the name above sriven was estab- 
(wl K ^^^^^^ ^^ 1832, and named for Colonel Gilbert C. Eussell, 
i^Jg of Mobile. This is one of the border counties of the State, 
•^^j^ being separated from Georgia by the Chattahoochee River. 
It has many valuable tracts of land and a thrifty population. 

The county embraces an area of 670 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 24,837 ; population in 1890, 24,093. White, 
5,814; colored, 18,279. 

Area planted in cotton, 66,772 acres ; in corn, 32,502 acres ; in 
oats, 5,631 acres ; in wheat, 47 acres ; in rye, 63 acres ; in tobacco, 
1 acre. 

Cotton production — 20,521 bales. 

The general surface of Eussell county is undulating, and in 
some sections broker. It abounds in capital agricultural lands, 
many of which have been in cultivation for quite a number of 
years. Its soils differ widely in their character, but are generally 
quite productive. 

Beginning our survey with the lands in the eastern part of the 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 189 



county, and those which lie along the western bank of the his- 
toric Chattahoochee, we find them to be excellent for farming 
purposes, the loamy soil having the color of chocolate. These 
embrace a belt five or six miles in width, when the more elevated 
table-lands begin. These are covered Avith a red loam soil, and 
are considered even more valuable than those which lie in close 
proximity to the river. Beyond this, still westward, are the hill 
regions, which have long sustained a reputation for productive- 
ness. Next this comes a range of gravelly hills, which penetrate 
the county near the center. From this point to the extreme 
western boupdary there is quite a diversity of soil, produced 
largely by the numerous streams which ramify this portion of 
Russell. In this western half may be found rich alluvial bottoms, 
as well as thin, sandy, ridge lands. These lands are peculiarly 
adapted to the production of corn, cotton, oats, potatoes and 
sugar-cane. The bottom lands are usually preferred for cotton. 
The lands are generally tilled with ease. Every variety of soil 
may be found in the county, from that of sand to that of the most 
fertile black prairie and blue marl. The county is highly favored 
in its dense forests of excellent timber. Both the short-leaf and 
yellow or long-leaf pine, the white, red, water and blackjack oaks, 
hickory, gum, beech, dogwood, willow, maple, timbers, prevail in 
different sections of Russell. The county has ample supplies of 
water throughout the entire year. The Chattahoochee River 
forms the entire eastern boundary of the county, giving a river 
front of more than fifty miles, while its territory is watered by 
such streams as Hatchechubbee, Big and Little Uchee, North 
and Middle Forks of Cowikee and Wetumpka Creeks. These bold 
streams are fed by numerous tributaries that drain every section 
of the county. The springs and wells afford abundant supplies 
of superior water for domestic uses. These water supplies, taken 
in connection with the readiness with which grass and clover are 
produced, suggest the ease with which stock may be raised. 
This will no doubt become, in the years of the future, one of the 
leading industries of Russell. 

The chief towns are Seale, the county-seat, with a population 
of 300, Girard 300, Hurtsboro 600, Jernigau 250, and Hatche- 
chubbee. Pittsboro and Paradise, new and growing towns on the 
Savannah, Americus & Montgomery Railroad, and Crawford are 
inviting points. Flourishing schools exist in these, as well as in 



190 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



every hamlet and village in the county. Hurtsboro has long been 
noted for its educational spirit. 

The Mobile & Girard and Savannah, Americus & Montgomery 
Railroads and the packets upon the Chattahoochee furnish trans- 
portation facilities to the people of the county. Columbus, Geor- 
gia, a large and flourishing city, on the opposite bank of the river 
to Russell, affords a fine market to the inhabitants of the county. 

The people of Russell are alive to the importance of developing 
the wealth of their highly-favored county, and they look for that 
development to come mainly from the industry and energy of 
those who will come in and occupy their valuable lands. These 
can be purchased at prices ranging from $1.50 to $10.00 per acre. 

The government lands have been exhausted in the countv. 



BARBOUR COUNTY. 



IHE count}' of Barbour was formed in 1832 and named for 
Governor James Barbour, of Virginia. It has long been 
one of the leading counties of the State. It has been noted, 
not only for the thrift and prosperity of its citizens, but for their 
refinement and intelligence, as well. The county has furnished a 
number of the most distingushed men of the State. No other 
county leads Barbour in its progress in agriculture and the man- 
ufactures. It has an area of 860 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 33,979 ; population in 1890, 34,898. White, 
13,454; colored, 21,444. 

Area planted in cotton, 104,738 acres ; in corn, 64,826 acres ; 
in oats, 8,654 acres ; in wheat, 3 acres ; in rye, 64 acres ; in to- 
bacco, 2 acres. 

Cotton Production — 33,440 bales. 

It will be seen by these figures that Barbour is emphatically 
an agricultural county. For the pursuit of agriculture, it is most 
admirably fitted by nature. It has generally a slightly undu- 
lating surface, with hills along the northern end. The lower 
portions of the county are generally level. Barbour creek, a 
large stream which flows nearly through the heart of the county, 
in a southeasterly direction, divides it into two sections. North 
of this stream are the most fertile lands. Amid the Cowikees (a 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 1^1 



name given a group of streams in that section) we find a portion 
of the famous Black Belt. Here have been for many years, 
and still are, the extensive plantations which have given Barbour 
such a reputation abroad as a superb farming section. Almost 
without exception, the lands in this region possess superior 
fertility. A large proportion of the colored population is found 
in this region, whither they have located as the tillers of the 
soil. They live directly upon these productive lands, while the 
white settlements are upon the knolls and more elevated por- 
tions For social refinement and elevation, this part of the 
county can not be surpassed. The prolific lands of this region 
have an admixture of lime, and away from the streams are 
reddish or light colored. Those bordering the several forks or 
creeks which water this section are much more sandy, but highly 

productive. 

Looking southward from Barbour Creek, the lands are freer 
from hills and much more sandy than those lying beyond the 
stream and in the north. In this part of the county (the southern) 
the surface land has a deep clay subsoil, and is susceptible of a 
high degree of fertilization. It is described as being highly favor- 
able to'' small model farms, as different crops can be readily 
planted and gathered in rotation. 

A high ridge follows the windings of Pea Eiver, which is not so 
fertile as the neighboring regions, but which is thickly timbered 
with valuable oak, hickory, and walnut. 

The productions of Barbour county are cotton, corn, oats, peas, 
millet, sorghum, potatoes (sweet and Irish), and sugar-cane. The 
last-named product is so easy of cultivation, and under favorable 
circumstances is so productive, that it is annually assuming 
greater importance. 

All the vegetables grown in the Temperate Zone flourish here 

without limit. . 

Fruits are easily raised and are winning more attention year by 
year. Pears, peaches, plums, grapes, figs and melons of every 
variety are the fruits which are generally grown. Near the city 
of Euf aula is located a farm which annually grows large quantities 
of seeds for northern seed houses. This can be made quite a 
lucrative business. On the same farm are now growing 2,500 
LeConte pear trees. This fruit grows to perfection m this soil 
and climate. 



■^"^ ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Grasses and clovers grow beautifully in the county, both in their 
native wildness and when cultivated. These, together with the 
wild cane, which grows along the streams, keep the stock roaming 
at large m excellent condition almost throughout the year. 

The woods of the county are mainly stocked with such timbers 
as oak, hickory, poplar, long-leaf pine, walnut, and persimmon. 

Ihe county is drained in the north by the several forks of Cow- 
ikee Creek, along the eastern slopes by the Chattahoochee the 
central and southern parts by the headwaters of the Choctaw- 
hatchee River and the western part by Pea River. This affords 
an idea of the superior watering facilities of the county 

From the hills in the southwest have been gathered Specimens 
ot iron ore. Lime rocks prevail in abundance in different portions 
o± Barbour, while specimens of kaolin have been secured. In the 
town of Louisville is a bed of green marl about twelve or eighteen 
leet below the surface and in vast quantities. Repeated experi- 
ments by gardners prove its value. 

In the southern portion of the county four miles above the line 
of Dale is a great natural curiosity in the form of a magnificent 
spring, the dimensions of which are 40x80 feet. Its waters are of 
a bluish cast and so transparent that the light glows through them 
Ihe eye of a fish is distinctly seen in their shining depths. This 
was once a point of popular resort, but since the destruction of 
the_8pacious hotel it has been abandoned as such. The waters of 
this wonderful spring are supposed to possess wonderful curative 
powers. There issues directly from it a large, bold stream 

Eufaula, a city of 6,000 inhabitants, • Clayton, the county-seat 
and a point of interest, having quite an educational spirit, and 
Louisville, with a population of several hundred, and Batesville 
are the important centers of the county. Among these Louisville 
may be mentioned as one of the oldest towns in this section of 
Alabama, and has long been noted as possessing a thrifty and in- 
telligent population. Eufaula is one of the principal cities of the 
State. By reason of its location as a commercial center, it has 
long been regarded a point of great importance. This estimate of 
the city IS further enhanced by the projected railway from this 
point to Florida. It crowns a lofty bluff on the west bank of 
the Chattahoochee River, 180 feet high, overlooking that stream 
for many miles, in both directions, and commanding a view of 
beautiful landscapes for a great distance beyond. It is noted for 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. J 93 



Its health, superior society, enterprising business men, schools and 
churches. Its compresses, machine shops, factories, foundries 
iflouring and corn mills, weaving mill, and presses attest its im- 
portance as an enterprising center. It has good hotels and many 
handsome private residences. Its church architecture will com- 
pare favorably with that of any city in the South. It has a female 
college and superior male schools. 

Arrangemeuts have been coosummated for the erection of a 
$100,000 cotton factory at Eufaula. 

Clayton, the county-seat of Barbour county, is 21 miles west of 
the Chattahoochee river, aud is ou the line of the Eufaula & East 
Alabama Railroad. It has a population of about 2,100, and is a 
place of considerable commercial importance, receiving about 
20,000 bales of cotton per annum; it has a bank of $50,000 cap- 
ital, and there is now iu process of erection a guano factory, with 
a capital of $50,000. Clayton is surrounded by a large territory 
of the best farming lands in the famous "Cotton Belt," and these 
lands being cultivated by industrious, intelligent and enterprising 
white people, give the town a large retail trade. 

Here are as good schools as can be found iu any town in the 
State. Four churches for the whites and two for the blacks, each 
attended by good congregations. The population of this town is 
intelligent, industrious, aud possess the hospitality characteristic 
of Southern people. 

Educational advantages are found in every portion of the 
county. Churches exist also iu every section. 

Transportation is secured through the Montgomery & Eufaula 
Railroad, the Central Railroad of Georgia, the Eufaula & Clayton 
Railroad, and the Chattahoochee River. 

Lands may be had, by those wishing to settle in Barbour at 
prices ranging from $2.50 to $20 per acre. No people would hail 
more readily the influx of a thrifty, industrious population than 
those of Barbour county. 

There are 480 acres of government land still untaken in the 
county, 



194 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



MtF 



THE TIMBER BELT. 

^HE Timber Belt of Alabama lies directly south of the great 
Cotton, or Black Belt, and north of the Gulf of Mexico. 
cm;^ The name of the region is suggested by its superb timber, 
but, as has been said of the other grand divisions of the State, 
this is not the only characteristic attaching to this great section. 
Indeed, there are splendid forests in every section of Alabama. 
There is not a county in the State but has an abundance of wood 
for all practical purposes if it is saved from wanton destruction, 
while the vast majority of the counties have timbers in great 
quantities and varieties. Even in the sections which are richest 
in mineral ores there are not unfrequently to be met extensive 
forests of as valuable timber as can be found on the continent. 
The same is true of the agricultural sections of Alabama. These 
fertile lands, where they remain uncleared, are stocked with tim- 
ber of great value. 

The reference to the extent of these forests will be more appre- 
ciated when it is learned that more than one-third of the State is 
covered with forests of timber. These embrace 20,930,963 acres. 
The South is the most heavily wooded section of the civilized 
world, unless it be the uncleared portions of Canada. The wood- 
lauds of this section have attracted more attention and allured 
more capital than any other one element of the native wealth of 
the South. In both the Expositions held in New Orleans the 
South led all the other sections of the Union in her exhibitions of 
timber. And when we remember that there was a liberal outlay 
of public funds in many of the States of a higher latitude with 
which to exhibit their resources, and recall the fact that but few 
of the States of the South made any appropriation for this pur- 
pose, we gain a clearer view of the richness of wealth embraced in 
our vast Woodland regions. 

Northern and European capitalists show their appreciation of 
the value of our wooded lands by the purchase of them. The 
manufactories of Cincinnati and other Western cities, now that 
they have exhausted the timbers needed by themselves in their 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 195 



own section, are turning their attention to the forests of the 
South. 

The extensive region known as the Timber Belt of Alabama, 
embraces the fifteen counties which lie in the southern end of 
the State, viz: Washington, Mobile, Baldwin, Clarke, Monroe, 
Escambia, Conecuh, Butler, Covington, Crenshaw, Pike, Coffee, 
Geneva, Dale and Henry. It presents great uniformity of char- 
acter in its surface conformation, in its soils, and in its vegeta- 
tion. The surface is generally undulating, with occasional hills 
breaking off into the fertile bottoms which lie along the numerous 
water- courses. There is the frequent occurrence, however, of 
level plateaus or table-lands, which cover immense areas. The 
surface soil of this region is generally of a sandy nature. In 
the bottoms and in the lands which lie adjacently the soils are 
quite fertile, and yield largely of all the productions of this latitude. 
But for the thinner soils nature has provisions ready at hand with 
which to enrich them. Nutritive manures are easily made from 
the abounding pine straw and the excrements of the herds of 
stock, which are easily sustained from one end of the year 
to the other by the native grasses and clovers and the wild 
cane which grows along the streams. This section of Alabama 
was one vast pasture land when it was the home of the Indian. 
The prevailing fires, which are suffered at certain seasons to 
break out, have proved injurious to the hearts and roots of the 
grasses and herbs of the forests, and have impaired them in 
some sections. This region has many advantages, and is sus- 
ceptible of great results under an improved system of agricul- 
ture. 

Besides its great wealth of forest and its easy adaptibility to 
stock-raising, its soils are capable of producing excellent crops. 
In addition still may be mentioned the fact that it is the best 
watered section of Alabama, and its clear, brisk streams furnish 
fine water-power for manufacturing purposes. 

But the peculiar glory of this section is its immense forests, 
which cover uninterruptedly hundreds of thousands of acres. In 
these extensive forests the yellow or long- leaf pine may be indi- 
cated as being most prevalent of all the woods. The grand forests 



196 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



of this timber sweep down to the Atlantic and along the Gulf coast 
from North Carolina to Texas. 

The width of this section as it relates to Alabama and extends 
entirely across the State from east to west is about 150 miles. In 
most of the counties already named as constituting the Timber 
Belt, the pine forests remain as they did when the red men held 
sway. In some counties they have not been the least invaded in 
districts embracing many thousands of acres. Practically speak- 
ing, the great pine forests of Alabama are untouched. And great 
as are the other resources of Alabama — mineral and agricultural — 
they find a peer in the great timber wealth of Alabama forests. 
These trees, many of them grow to a considerable height, attain- 
ing sometimes that of 150 feet. Magnificent spars are hewn from 
our forests, oftentimes seventy- five feet long, and shipped to the 
distant markets of the globe. But this is not the only use to 
which the pine is devoted. The rosin, which is extracted from 
the trees, when confined and converted into turpentine, becomes 
an indispensable adjunct to the arts, and is a great factor of com- 
merce. 

In this region, as elsewhere, the devout student sees the strik- 
ing evidences of Divine wisdom in the wonderful adjustment of 
means to ends. The streams flowing down from the hills of the 
north grow broader and deeper as they approach the seas upon 
the south. Making their way through these boundless forests, 
and usually flowing between low embankments, they seem designed 
as great channels to convey these timbers to ports of the sea. For 
many years they have been so employed by lumbermen, and iu 
many instances have resulted in the speedy enrichment even of 
humble hewers of wood. 

Bat the yellow or long-leaf pine forests are largely interspersed 
with different varieties of oak, and in the swamps, which usually 
prevail along the streams, there are hundreds of thousands of 
acres of superb oak timjaer. These immense districts of oak have 
scarcely been touched, because of the absence of manufactories iu 
this section calling for the consumption of such timber. 

Along the lower streams, such as the Alabama and Tombigbee, 
timbers are sometimes hewn upon a limited scale, and floated to 
such points as Mobile, for the manufacture of hoops and staevs. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 197 



These forests of oak are destined to play a conspicious part in the 
future development of the wealth of this State. 

Another important wood which prevails is the cypress. This 
is found in the extreme lower section of the great Timber Belt, 
There are cypress mills along the coast, notably in Mobile and at 
Stockton, on the Tensas River. 

Hickory is also an important factor, and in this latitude attains 
to great size. And so there are the beech, magnolia, cedar, maple, 
dogwood, irouwood, juniper, ash, walnut, holly, cottonwood, pop- 
lar, and the sweet gum. 

Not until of late years has the last named product been appre- 
ciated in the manufactories. The rapid disappearance of walnut, 
as an article of manufacture, has driven cabinet makers to search 
for a substitute. This, they have discovered largely in the sweet 
gum of the great timber regions of the South. The tree grows 
large, tall, and straight, and when subjected to the finish of the 
tool, it yields a bright glazed surface, beneath which is a dark, firm, 
and durable texture. The Chicago Lumberman states that, not- 
withstanding the original opposition to gum, it is making rapid 
headway in that great metropolis. It is largely used in furnish- 
ing the rooms r>f some of the handsomest residences in that city. 
The demand for gum is on the increase, both in Northern and 
Southern manufactories. 

Along the swamps, and along the coasts of the southern ex- 
tremity of the great Belt, there are vast quantities of swamp moss 
trailing from the trees. It is quite abundant, and is easily gath- 
ered. For many years it was unnoticed, except as an object of 
curiosity, giving a sombre complexion to our vast forests of 
swamp; but it is now being gathered and converted into mattresses. 
Hundreds of laborers are engaged in this work, and yet other 
hundreds will engage when its commercial value shall have been 
realized. 

As an abode of health, the pine sections of Alabama can not be 
surpassed. Beneath the surface of sand is a fine red clay sub- 
soil, into which wells are easily dug, which yield as pure freestone 
water as can be found. This, together with the aroma imparted 
from the resinous pine, furnishes one the surest means of health. 
Far into the interior the breezes from the Gulf find their way and 



198 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



tone the sultriness of our summers. This is quite perceptible to 
the residents of the interior, even as remotely as seventy- five miles 
from the Gulf coast. 

The soils of the Timber Belt are peculiarly adapted to the root 
crops, fruits and vegetables. Sugar-cane, potatoes, yams, melons, 
peaches, pears, apricots, grapes, berries of every possible sort, 
pecans, pomegranates, apples, figs and oranges, all thrive, and 
invariably yield in proportion to the attention which is given 
them. There are many wild fruits of great value, which grow 
abundantly. Among these, may be named walnuts, hickory-nuts, 
blue and blackberries, dewberries, grapes and muscadines. 

Thousands of bushels of these wild fruits grow every season in 
these forests. Blackberries and dewberries are the most valuable, 
abundant, and delicious of the fruits which grow wild. The 
abundance of these fruits at once suggest the ease and cheapness 
with which they could be canned, and easily converted into a 
commodity for the market. 

And then the inexhaustible abundance of grasses and clovers, 
both wild and domestic, and the never failing streams of pure 
water, at once recommend this section as one wonderfully suited 
to stock raising. Ever since the early settlement of Alabama, 
these grassy forests have been used to a limited extent for stock- 
raising, but our people were so peculiarly agricultural, that it has 
not, until within recent years, excited any attention. 

Grasses thrive almost the year round. The numerous streams 
which traverse this great region, are lined with broad margins of 
swamp cane, which remains perpetually green and tender. It is 
quite a nutritious forage. It is greatly relished by all kinds of 
stock. No section of the South aiBPords greater inducements to 
the stock raiser than the Timber Belt of Alabama. His stock 
could be sustained almost exclusively by the spontaneous growth 
of the fields and forests. 

Wool growing has received but slight attention, and yet has 
never failed to be greatly remunerative to the shepherd when 
attempted. 

In reference to the capabilities of the soils of the Timber Belt, 
no reference was had to its productiveness of the staple growths 
of our Southern climate. Some of the fiaest plantations of corn 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 199 



and cotton found in Alabama, are seen within the territory of the 
Timber Belt. 

Along the streams, as has already been said, the lands are very 
fertile, and here cotton and corn attain to as great perfection as 
elsewhere in the State. But experiments within the last fifteen 
years have demonstrated the fact that with proper fertilization and 
cultivation, the uplands in the pine districts of this Belt can be 
forced to yield amazingly. 

Under the system of intense farming, the yield in some instances 
has been simply wonderful. Of late years experiments have been 
made in tobacco culture and with surprising results. Rapid de- 
velopments have been made in the development of lands in the 
counties of Pike, Crenshaw, Dale, Henry, Geneva, Coffee, Coving- 
ton, Escambia and Conecuh. As the ilow of immigration has in- 
creased into these counties, the lands have been developed, the 
crops have been greatly increased both in variety and in quality, 
and the valuation of the lands advanced. The Commissioner of 
Agriculture is directing his attention to the commendable efforts 
which are being made to increase the variety of crops in this sec- 
tion of the State, and the indications point to a rapid improvement. 



WASHINGTON COUNTY. 



;(fJf|ASHINGTON is the oldest county in the State, having 
been created by Governor Sargent in 1800. It was named 

_m for the first President of the United States. Consider- 
able historic interest attaches to the county. It has the honor of 
having within its limits the first capital of Alabama — St. Ste- 
phens. It was in this county that Aaron Burr was arrested, in 
1807. It is alike noted for the quiet tone of its people, its forests 
of timber, its health, and its healing springs. 

Area of the county, 1,050 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 4,538; population in 1890, 7,935. White, 
4,686; colored, 3,294. 

Area planted in cotton, 4,579 acres; in corn, 6,429; in oats, 



200 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



246 acres; in sugar-cane, 99 acres; in sweet potatoes, 448 acres. 

Cotton Production, 2,030 bales. 

The general surface of Washington county may be described 
as rolling. In the northern part there is black prairie soil and 
lime hills. This stiff, black soil, though difficult to cultivate, is 
very fertile. It is a belt varying in width from two to ten miles. 
The central and southern portions are covered with pine lands, 
which are usually sandy, and are easily tilled. Most of these 
lands lie well, and are susceptible of a high degree of fertiliza- 
tion. When thus aided, the lands become very generous in their 
production, and the crops grow off rapidly, enabling the planter 
to cultivate several crops between the disappearance of frost in 
March and its reappearance in November. In the southern por- 
tion very fine cotton and corn are produced, the plants rivaling in 
size those which flourish upon the fertile canebrakes of the Cotton 
Belt. In the other parts of the county great quantities of cotton, 
corn, sugar-cane, potatoes, rice, oats and tobacco are produced. 
In addition to these there are raised, for home consumption, peas 
and peanuts in abundance. The people are made thrifty, inde- 
pendent and happy by the ready and abundant resources of their 
soils. Perennial pastures abound and stock is easily sustained. 

The territory of the county is traversed by a number of excel- 
lent and perpetual streams, chief among which are the Tombigbee 
River, which forms its eastern boundary, and Sinta Bogue, Bas- 
sett's. Poll Bayou, Bate's, Bilboa's, Johnson's, Beaver, and Pine 
Barren Creeks. Dog River rises in the western part and flows 
through that portion. 

Wells and springs of the purest freestone water are exuberant 
in their supplies in every portion of Washington. Many mineral 
springs are also found, which embrace iron, sulphur, magnesia, 
and alum, among other properties. The most noted of these 
springs are Healing and Sullivan springs. The waters of the 
last named springs are very valuable for many diseases. 

In several portions of the county are excellent phosphate beds, 
notably on the Tombigbee River. Salt springs also are in suc- 
cessful operation in the county. 

Transportation facilities are furnished by the Mobile & Ohio 
Railroad, which penetrates the western part of the county, and 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 201 



the Tombigbee River, which forms its eastern border line. These 
place the county in easy connection with markets North and 
South. 

The Mobile & Birmingham Railroad is now completed and is 
quite an addition in the means of transportation to the county. 

Piue, oak, hickory, beech, ash, cedar, cypress and dogwood are 
the trees which stock the forests of the county. Many of these 
are of matchless size, and are of great marketable value. Great 
quantities of turpentine are gathered from the pine forests. 

St. Stephens, Frankville, Healing Springs and Escatawpa are 
the places of interest. A good common school system exists in 
the county. 

Lands may be had for $1, or as high as $8 per acre. The in- 
habitants would be glad to welcome, as accessions to their popu- 
lation, earnest and energetic citizens. 

The county of Washington embraces 70,560 acres of govern- 
ment land awaiting the occupation of settlers. 



MOBILE COUNTY. 




HJflOBILE was established in 1813, and named for the bay 
whose waters wash its eastern shores. It lies in the ex- 
treme southwest corner of the State, and is the wealthiest, 
most populous, and one of the largest counties of the Common- 
wealth. 

Its climate, healthfulness, varied pursuits, and remarkably fine 
location give it some advantages over every other county in Ala- 
bama. It has an area of 1,200 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 48,653; population in 1890, 51,587. White, 
28,369; colored, 23,218. 

Area planted in cotton, 48 acres; in corn, 2,398 acres; in oats, 
64 acres; in rice, 191 acres; in sugar-cane, 151 acres; in sweet 
potatoes, 776 acres. 

Coilon Production, 24 bales. 

In the northern and western portions of the county there is an 
undulation of surface, while along the coast the lands are Hat. 



202 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



As will appear from the statistics already furnished, but few of 
the lands of the county are devoted to farming purposes. Other 
pursuits engross the attention of the people, such as market gar- 
dening, fruit culture, and the fish and oyster trade. In some 
parts of the county stock raising has risen into prominence as an 
industry, and in others the lumber business is largely engaged in. 
Vast turpentine orchards claim attention of still others. 

Mobile county is most liberally endowed by nature with all the 
conditions favorable to market gardening. With a climate re- 
markable for its blandness, a soil precisely adapted to this indus- 
try, and with easy and rapid transportation to the most distant 
markets of the country, Mobile is the Paradise of the market 
gardener. This industry has been rapidly growing through 
several years past, and is still on the increase. The proceeds ac- 
cruing from the shipment of vegetables amounted to $700,000. 
Fully 100,000 acres of superb garden lands remain untouched in 
the county of Mobile. These vegetables and fruits include all 
that are produced in this latitude, viz: Cabbages, potatoes (sweet 
and Irish), beans, peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons, can- 
teloupes, peaches, plums, Cuban sugarcane, grapes, etc. 

Almost all these are shipped in large cargoes to points as re- 
mote as New York and Chicago, and furnish the people of these 
distant sections with the luxuries grown beneath the Southern 
sun, while yet their lakes and streams are locked with ice. 

The fish and oyster trade is also immense, the proceeds of 
which amount annually to more than $250,000. 

The timbers of the county iuclade the oak, hickory, elm, mag- 
nolia, bay, cypress, sweet and soar gums, and yellow pine. The 
water outlets are furnished by the Mobile River and Bay on the 
one side, and the Escatawpa River on the other. Beautiful 
streams of perpetual tiow ramify different portions of the county. 

Mobile, Mt. Vernon, Citronelle, Whistler, and Spring Hill are 
the points of interest. Great attention is given at all these 
points to education and the maintenance of religious worship. 

Means of transportation are superb, being furnished by the 
Louisville & Nashville, Mobile & Ohio Railroads, Mobile River 
and Bay, and a portion of the Gulf. A new line of railroad has 
been built from Mobile to Birmingham. Along the line of its 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 203 



route it penetrates the richest mineral domains in the State. This, 
together with other lines, will constitute the city of Mobile the 
natural receptacle and distributing point of the vast mineral 
stores of Alabama. 

MOBILE. 

Mobile, located at the mouth of Mobile Kiver and upon a beau- 
tiful sheet of water stretching southward, known as the Mobile 
Bay, is the metropolis of Alabama. It is one of the oldest cities 
upon the Southern coast, having been established by Bienville as 
early as 1711. It is built upon a sandy plateau which is but 
slightly elevated above the surface of the waters of the neighbor- 
ing bay. But the elevation is quite sufficient for natural drainage. 
Mobile is Alabama's only seaport. 

"Circled by waters that never freeze, 
Beaten by billows and swept by breeze." 

Mobile enjoys a favorableness of location second to that of no 
other city on the continent. It has a population of 32,000, and 
has long been famous as a business mart. 

Many years ago Commodore Maury predicted that the Gulf of 
Mexico would one day be the focus of the world's commerce. The 
construction of the contemplated Nicaragua Canal would speedily 
fulfil this prediction. The march of events seems now to be in 
that direction. The rapid development of the mineral deposits 
of central Alabama suggests other methods of transportation 
than those which are afforded simply by the raihvays, and this is 
leading to the urgent necessity of the removal of all natural ob- 
structions from the numerous water-ways that cut their channels 
through the coal and iron fields and flow to the sea. Mobile is* 
the focus of these numerous streams that drain the exhaustless 
ore fields of middle Alabama. It is the natural receiving point 
of all these vast stores that must find their way over rivers and 
railroads alike to seek an outlet to the markets of the globe. 

Kealizing the prospective importance of Mobile as a natural 
outlet to remoter parts of the productions of Alabama, whether 
of field, forest or mine, the projectors of railroads are directing 
their lines toward the city as a terminal facility. It is already 



204 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



in connection with the two great lines that bind it to the West, 
viz; The Louisville & Nashville and the Mobile & Ohio Railroads. 
Its great advantages are seen in the fact that it is the nearest 
Oulf port to Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Chattanooga, Memphis, 
Nashville, Cairo, St. Louis, Columbus and Kansas City. 

With the removal of the comparatively slight obstruction in the 
mouth of Mobile Bay, the city of Mobile will possess commercial 
advantages superior, perhaps, to those of any other city on the 
Southern coast. Ships drawing over twenty-three feet can enter 
and find safe and capacious anchorage in the lower bay, while 
vessels drawing seventeen feet can now come along the channel, 
which is being deepened by the Government, to the wharves of 
the city. It is proposed to deepen this passageway twenty- two 
feet. It is quite evident that Nature has designed Mobile as a 
great commercial center. Its growing trade has largely multi- 
plied its industries, among which may be named its cotton- seed 
oil mill and oil cake manufactories, cotton and woolen goods man- 
ufactories, grist-mills, saw-mills, furniture factory, cigar and 
tobacco manufactories; its cotton mill, its coal, lumber, and lum- 
ber business, its bread and cracker, sash and blind, barrel and 
hogshead, lumber and wood establishments; foundries, machine 
shops, and tanneries. As a fish and oyster market, as well as a 
fruit market, it cannot be excelled. 

Its streets are generally wide and well laid off and shaded by 
the native oak and magnolia. It has many palatial residences and 
many buildings of rare beauty. Its principal hotel, the Battle 
House, long esteemed one of the best in the South, has been 
refitted and affords unusual facilities for comfort. The parks and 
yards and gardens of Mobile abound in flowers of rarest beauty, 
«andits groves of orange are spots of surpassing loveliness. 

The educational advantages of Mobile have been proverbially 
excellent for almost a half century. The city takes great pride in 
the maintenance of her famous institution of learning — the Barton 
Academy. The Medical College of Alabama is located here. As 
a point of refuge from the chill and blast of a Northern clime. 
Mobile is witbout a rival. Generally the winters are exceedingly 
mild and but rarely at all harsh. But it is delightful as a place 
of residence even in midsummer. The cool breezes from the sea 



ALABAMA AS IT 18. 205 



sweep it continually and fan away the scorching heat of summer 
tide. Dotting the coasts of the Bay, opposite the city, are mag- 
nificant hotels which have become tamous as summer resorts. 
Conspicuous among these may be mentioned 

POINT CLEAR, 

which has been properly styled the Long Branch of the South. 
It is the finest resort of the South, combining as it does a mag- 
nificent hotel with all modern improvements, its accessibility to a 
market of meats, fruits, fish and oysters, unexcelled on the con- 
tinent, its refreshing breezes of the sea, and its superb facilities 
for bathing. Leading from the city along the coast of the Bay is 

THE FAMOUS SHELL ROAD, 

which is seven miles in length. Flanked on the one side by the 
beautiful sheet of water — the Mobile Bay — thronged with its busy 
sails of commerce, and on the other by gardens and parks, and 
residences of rare architectural structure, the shell road can not 
be surpassed as a magnificent drive. 

The natural, social, and commercial advantages possessed by 
Mobile indicate it as one of the coming cities of the South. 

Mobile county contains 67,670 acres of land belonging to the 
government. 



BALDWIN COUNTY, 

j^^ALDWIN county was created in 1809. It has the honor of 
M^ being the largest county in the State, embracing within its 
f^^* limits a larger scope of territory than that embraced by the 
entire State of Rhode Island. Its area is 1,620 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 8,603; population 1890, 8,941. White, 
5,678; colored 3,263. 

Area planted in cotton, 1,487 acres; in corn, 2,679 acres; in 
oats, 114 acres; in rice, 121 acres; in sugar-cane, 81 acres; in 
sweet potatoes, 484 acres; tobacco, 1 acre. 

Cotton Production — 663 bales. 

The northern portion of Baldwin is undulating, the remainder a 
level surface with a gentle slope to the Gulf of Mexico. In the 



206 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



western portion of the county, above Mobile Bay, is a considera- 
ble tract of marshy country in the delta of the river. 

There is an immense area of unimproved land yet to be occupied 
in the county, 

Baldwin county may be represented as a vast pine forest, though 
in the western portion, on the Alabama, Mobile, and Tensas Riv- 
ers, and on the lakes and islands adjacent, there are considerable 
bodies of rich alluvial bottom lands, the greater part of which, 
however, is subject to annual overflow. The soils in these bot- 
toms are accumulations of vegetable matter for ages, and could 
be reclaimed by means of levees, canals, and ditches. Were this 
effected, the yield would be simply marvelous. 

But away from these alluvial flats, and nearly the entire surface 
of the county is covered with a luxuriant growth of long-leaf 
pine, beneath which flourish grasses of perennial green, which 
afford abundant pasturage for stock the entire year. The soil of 
these pine lands is usually of a light sand with a deep clay sub- 
soil. There are vast domains of pine table lands. 

The climate 'of the county is superb, being surrounded on three 
sides by Mobile and Perdido Bays and the Gulf of Mexico. 

Owing to its unlimited pasturage facilities, the county is well 
adapted to raising cattle and sheep, neither of which need other 
than the herbage cropped through the forests, either summer or 
winter. Stock-raisers are careful to pen their stock once a year and 
brand them, and but little attention is given them afterwards, 
only as they are herded and driven to market. 

Wool -growing is quite a profitable branch of business in the 
county. There are several large sheep ranches which contain 
herds of three or four thousand head. The services of only one 
man is needed to protect the flock from the ravages of dogs, wild 
hogs, wild cats, and eagles. 

Along the streams and in the swampy lowlands there are ex- 
tensive districts of luxuriant wild cane and green grass, which 
afford fine winter pasturage for stock. Many of the places are 
entirely surrounded by water which obviates the expense of 
fencing. 

The lumber and turpentine interests are chief. Vast quanti- 
ties of both pine and cypress lumber are sawn and shipped to 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 207 



distant markets. The mills are located upon streams, down 
which the logs are floated, and after being manufactured into 
lumber, are ready for shipment. The turpentine industry gives 
employment to many of the people. 

Market-gardening and orchard culture claim considerable at- 
tention. Oranges are successfully grown along the southern 
coast, and grapes, figs, plums, and apples do well. The pro- 
duction of these fruits is favored by the deep clay subsoil. 

Game is still found in the great forests of Baldwin. Deer, 
wild cats, foxes, squirrels, and raccoons are found everywhere. 
Occasionally a bear is found in the deep swamps and canebrakes 
along the rivers. The streams abound in the most magnificent 
specimens of fresh water fish, while oysters are inexhaustible 
along the coasts. 

The Mobile, Alabama, Tensas, Fish, and Perdido Rivers, be- 
sides innumerable lakes and Mobile and Perdido Bays, afford an 
extensive water front and fine commercial facilities. Besides 
these, the interior of the county is penetrated by many clear 
flowing streams, affording exhaustless supplies of water through- 
out the year. 

The level face of the lauds and their deep clay subsoils favor 
fertilizing, and when thus aided they produce well. 

Montgomery Hill, Montpelier, Stockton, Daphne, the county- 
seat and Bay Minette are points of interest, having good society, 
schools, and churches. Upon the coast are Bon Secour and Point 
Clear, which are delightful resorts for summer. Many of the 
wealthiest families of Mobile and New Orleans resort hither du- 
ring the summer season. 

Lands in Baldwin are remarkably cheap. Where the timber 
has been removed they may be purchased at 25 to 50 cents per 
acre. Others may be had for $ 1 and $ 5 per acre. 

Many government lands exist, and are subject to entry, there 
being 72,800 acres. 

Men of limited means, but of industrious habits, could not find 
a more inviting region for settlement than Baldwin county. 



208 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 




CLARKE COUNTY. 

iHIS county was created in 1812, It is historically associated 
-^ with many of the bloody scenes enacted during the pre- 
vailing war of that time. 

The county is favorably situated, and has many natural 
advantages. It has an area of 1,160 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 17,808; population in 1890, 22,624. White, 
9,685; colored, 12,934. 

Area planted in cotton, 42,337 acres; in corn, 32,908 acres; in 
oats, 4,169 acres; in tobacco, 2 acres; in rye, 2 acres; in sugar- 
cane, 200 acres; in rice, 22 acres; in sweet potatoes, 1,256 acres. 

Cotton Production — 16,376 bales. 

The face of the country is diversified with hills and valleys. 
There is a southward slope to the junction of the Alabama and 
Tombigbee Rivers, which unite and form a sharp angle at the 
southern extremity of the county. A peculiarity belonging to the 
general surface, is that the dividing ridge between the Alabama 
and Tombigbee' Rivers, runs within ten miles of the former stream 
the entire length of the county. This turns all the main streams 
either to the west or southwest, and thus causes them to traverse 
almost the entire width of Clarke. 

The soil varieties of this county are rather numerous, embracing 
the thin pine lands, sandy basins, alluvial bottoms, upland loams, 
gray, limy, and the shell prairie. Those along the river bottoms, 
upon the uplands, and belonging to the shell prairie sections, are 
the most valuable. The basins which lie along the creeks, have 
too great a preponderance of sand to be arable. The lands mostly 
planted in cotton are the second bottoms or hammocks of the two 
rivers, which are oftimes several miles wide. These hammocks 
are aided very greatly by the washings from the lime hills. In 
several parts of Clarke, are fouQd many attractive farms. The 
productions of the county are cotton, corn, oats, potatoes, sugar- 
cane, peas, and peanuts. All these flourish quite readily. Such 
fruits as apples, peaches, pears, pomegranates, figs, and grapes, 
are remuuerative io response to proper attention. There are 
many wild fruits, such as grapes, muscadines, blackberries, and 
hickory nuts. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 209 



The swamps abomid in the largest oaks, which yield annually 
large quantities of acorns, which serve to fatten hundreds of hogs. 

Where lands are thrown out, grasses grow spontaneously al- 
most every month in the year, furnishing rich pasturage to stock- 
raising, free. Along the streams are dense thickets of cane 
which remain green the year through, and supplies cattle and 
horses with food during the winter. 

Clarke abounds in forest of excellent timber, comprising oak, 
poplar, hickory, beech, bay, cypress, maple, elm, cedar, and pine. 
Vast pine forests prevail in several portions of Clarke, and the 
trees are sometimes rafted to Mobile, where they find a ready 
market. Some attention is now being bestowed upon the improve- 
ment of stock. In the western part of the county are quite a 
number of salt springs and wells, to which the people of that and 
adjoining counties were forced to resort and manufacture salt 
during the late war, while the ports of the South were blockaded. 

There is a noted mineral well at Jackson, upon the Tombigbee 
River. The waters have excellent curative properties. The prin- 
cipal streams which supply the different portions of Clarke with 
water, are the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers; on the eastern 
and western borders respectively, Bashi, Tallahatta, Satilpa, Jack- 
son's, and Bassett's Creeks. 

At Wood's Bluff, on the Tombigbee River, there is to be seen 
the presence of green sand marl, though its extent is not known. 
Large quantities of gypsum are found in different portions of the 
county. Mineral springs, possessing rare curative powers are 
said to have been lately discovered. 

The points of importance are Grove Hill, the county- seat, with 
a population of 200, Gainestown, Suggsville, Coffeeville, Gosport, 
Jackson, Thomasville, Whatley, Walder Springs, Bashi, Choctaw 
Corner. Thomasville is a growing railroad town, located on the 
Mobile & Birmingham Railway, at which point, there is more 
business done than at any other point in the county. Schools 
and churches are to be met with in every portion of the county, 
and at some points, educational facilities are of a superior char- 
acter. 

Transportation is afforded the county by the Alabama and Tom- 
9 



210 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



bigbee Rivers, and the Mobile <fe Birmingham Eailroad. The 
creation of this new line has infused life into the county whose 
natural interior advantages only needed an outlet to secure devel- 
opments. This new thoroughfare links together Mobile and Bir- 
mingham, and passes directly through Clarke. The Pensacola & 
Memphis Railroad will also vastly benefit the county when built. 
Lands may be purchased in the county for figures running from 
$1 to $5 per acre. 

There are 18,680 acres of government land in Clarke, which are 
subject to entry. 

The people of Clarke are eager to have their lands peopled by 
a thrifty, energetic population. 



MONROE COUNTY. 




|ONROE county was created in 1815, and named in honor 
of President Monroe, of Virginia. It was one of the first 
^ counties of the State settled by the whites, and its people 
have been uniformly thrifty while engaged chiefly in planting. 
Many of the productive lands belonging to the Timber Belt are 
found in this county. Like many others, Monroe has been greatly 
checked in its progress because of the remoteness of transportation 
from the larger part of the population. It has an area of 1,030 
square miles. 

Population in 1880, 17,091 ; population in 1890, 18,990. White, 
8,379; colored, 10,611. 

Area planted in cotton, 41,882 acres; in corn, 26,715 acres; 
in oats, 4,704 acres; in rice, 78 acres; in sugarcane, 329 acres; in 
tobacco, 2 acres; in rye, 18 acres; in sweet potatoes, 920 acres. 

CoUon production — 15,959 bales. 

In the northern portion of Monroe, the surface is broken ; in 
the central and southern parts it is undulating. The several soils 
belonging to the county are the thin, sandy lands, which charac- 
terize the pine regions in this Belt; the lime hills, which are 
usually in the neighborhood of the principal streams; the loamy 
soils, which belong to the uplands, and the alluvial bottoms which 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 211 



border the large creeks and the Alabama Elver. The bottoms 
are largely iufluenced by the washiugs from the limy hills. Not- 
withstandiog the broken surface in the northern portion of Mon- 
roe, some of the most prosperous planters are found there. The 
most valuable lands of the county, and those upon which are es- 
tablished the thriftiest farms, are in the bottoms of Flat and 
Limestone Creeks and the Alabama River. These are more diffi- 
cult of cultivation, however, than the loamy uplands, because of 
their stiffness. The better class of uplands are very desirable, 
however, and are classed among the safe farming lands. The 
higher pine lands have a sandy surface, with a deep clay subsoil. 
Cotton, corn, oats, peas, potatoes, millet, sorghum, sugarcane, 
and ground peas are the chief productions. Apples, peaches, pears, 
plums, quinces, pomegranates, raspberries, and grapes are the 
fruits commonly grown. Vast crops of wild fruits are annually 
produced, such as hickorynuts, persimmons, blackberries, dew- 
berries, and chestnuts. In the swamps which usually follow the 
large streams there are immense quantities of acorns and beech 
mast, upon which the hogs readily thrive. The timbers are long 
and short-leaf pine, the different species of oak, hickory, beech, 
poplar, elm, cedar, cypress, maple and dogwood. Immense do- 
mains of pine forests abound in different parts of the county. 
These timbers will prove valuable when the county has greater 
transportation facilities The county is bounteously supplied 
with water by Flat Creek and its several forks. Limestone, Tal- 
latchee, Lovett and Randall Creeks, and the Alabama River. In- 
numerable freestone wells and springs are found. Monroe Springs, 
in the north-eastern part of the county, are valuable for their 
mineral properties, chief among which are sulphur and chalybeate. 
They were once a noted resort, but their inaccessibility has pre- 
vented the maintenance of their reputation before the public. 
They are destined to come again into prominence. Marl deposits 
ot value have been discovered upon Flat Creek, near Burnt Corn, 
and in the high bluffs, near Claiborne. Green sand marl is also 
seen at Bell's Landing and Johnson's Woodyard, on the Alabama 
River. These are supposed to extend across the county and to 



212 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



give fertility to the lands lying along Flat Creek, and are enrich- 
ing the soil of northern Conecuh. 

The points of interest are Monroeville, the county- seat, with a 
population of 400, Perdue Hill, Buena Vista, Burnt Corn and 
Pineville, 

The school and church advantages of the county are good 

Transportation is afforded by the Alabama River, and by the 
Selma & Pensacola Railroad, in Wilcox, and the Louisville & 
Nashville, as it passes through the adjoining county of Conecuh. 
A short gap of the Selma & Pensacola Railroad is uncompleted in 
the county. When finished it will open it up to the Gulf. 

Lands may be had for figures running from $L25 to ^10 per 
acre. About 50,000 acres of public lands exist in the county. 
Anxious to have the prosperity of the county enhanced, and its 
unoccupied lands taken, the people would hail with delight the 
influx of an industrious population. 



ESCAMBIA COUNTY. 



m 



HE county of Escambia was constituted in 1868, and named 
for the beautiful river which flows across it. It is one of 
the youngest counties in the State, but is regarded one of 
the thriftiest in the great Timber Belt. It has peculiar natural 
advantages in its forest wealth, its smooth topography, and its deep 
and wide streams. It has an area of 1,000 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 5,719; population in 1890, 8,666. White, 
5,843; colored, 2,823. 

Area planted in cotton, 972 acres; in corn, 6,630 acres; in oats, 
983 acres; in sugar cane, 83 acres; in rice, 405 acres; in sweet 
potatoes, 494 acres. 

Cotton Production — 462 bales. 

Escambia lies in the heart of the long-leaf pine region. The 
county is, in general, a level district of pine woods, the uniform 
surface of which is broken only by small valleys which are occa- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 213 



sioned by the creeks and branches and the lime- sinks. The soil 
is uniformly a light, sandy loam of prevailing light colors, and is 
not very productive unless aided with fertilizers. The high yield 
of the few acres planted in the county show that these level soils 
are capable of doing well when properly helped and judiciously 
tilled. The most fertile land, naturally, found in the county is 
along the Conecuh Eiver, where are found alluvial deposits. 
Fortunately, these sandy lands are quite level, and hence are not 
exposed to washing, and will retain all the fertilizers used upon 
them. Their character is such as to favor the rapid rotation of 
crops. The sandy surface throughout is underlaid with a deep 
clay subsoil. 

Cane, corn, rice, millet, sorghum, sweet and Irish potatoes, and 
peas are the chief products of the farm. Tobacco is also now be- 
ing raised. All these do well, but of the sugar cane and the 
potatoes it is doubtful whether any portion of the Union can sur- 
pass this section in their production. This county produces more 
sugar cane than any other county in the State. 

Last year immense quantities of the purest molasses or syrup 
was made. Besides furnishing a sufficiency for home consump- 
tion, quantities of it was shipped to the West. The potato 
attains a sweetness and size here which are but rarely attained 
elsewhere. Peaches, pears, grapes, apples, figs, pomegranates 
and quinces grow in the orchards, while vegetables of every 
character thrive and supply the homes almost from one end 
of the year to the other. Of the fruits, grapes do exceedingly 
well. 

Orchard culture and truck farming would, no doubt, prove 
profitable pursuits in the region adjacent the railway lines which 
penetrate the county. 

But the glory of Escambia is her magnificent forests of pine. 
In this county the expansive domains of yellow or long-leaf pine 
may be seen in its perfection. These pines give rise to the chief 
industries of the county, viz : The timber, lumber and turpentine 
business. Some of the finest and best equipped saw mills and 
turpentine distilleries known to the South are found in Escambia 
county. Timbers are hewn from the forests and rafted along the 



214 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



large streams to the mills to be converted into lumber, or else 
to Pensacola, where a ready market awaits them. These lumber 
and turpentine industries are near the Louisville & Nashville 
Railroad, which traverses the county north and south. 

Luxuriant herbage grows throughout these pine districts, 
affording grasses to cattle and sheep. So little is the expense 
attaching to stock-raising and wool- growing that they are rapidly 
assuming prominence as industries in Escambia. There are 
30,000 sheep in the county that are sustained entirely upon the 
native grasses. The growth of this spontaneous herbage is 
scarcely retarded by the short winters, and thus the herds of 
cattle and sheep and goats are sustained almost throughout the 
year. 

Deer are found in some portions of Escambia as well as other 
species of game. 

The principal streams are Conecuh and Escambia Rivers, Mur- 
der, Cedar, Burnt Corn and Sizemore Creeks. These are remark- 
ably fine streams of water, affording not only an unceasing supply 
of water for home and farm consumption, but furnishing a suffi- 
ciency for multitudes of manufactories. There sport in these 
creeks and rivers vast quantities of fresh water fish which are 
easily captured. The trout is quite a common luxury with the 
people of Escambia. 

The places of importance are Brewton, the county seat, with a 
population of 2,000, Pollard and Flomaton. Brewton is one of 
the thriftiest business centers to be met with in the interior of 
Alabama. It is the thriftiest town on the Louisville & Nashville 
between Montgomery and Mobile. Besides its large and flour- 
ishing mercantile establishments, it has several institutions of 
learning. Chief among these is Brewton Institute, a school of 
high grade, and manned with a competent corps of professors. 
Brewton affords an illustration of the immense wealth which is 
resident in the adjacent forests of timber. Here are found mam- 
moth lumber mills, and similar plants throughout the county. 

The health of the town is greatly enhanced by the prevalence 
of artesian wells. 

Escambia is penetrated by two railroads — the Louisville & 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 215 



Nashville, and the southern end of the Pensacola & Selma Rail- 
road. The Pensacola Division of the Louisville & Nashville Line 
enters the county at Flomaton, where it forms a junction with the 
main trunk. This gives the county an outlet to Pensacola. 
Through governmental intervention the Escambia and Conecuh 
Rivers will be opened for light boats in the future, and, when 
done, this will largely contribute to the prosperity of the county. 

Purchasers of lauds will find them ranging from $1.25 to $5 
per acre. Near the railroad centers they will command a higher 
price than that given. A hospitable people, healthful climate, 
pure water, bounteous, natural luxuries, and cheap lands, are the 
attractions offered to immigrants in Escambia county. 

There are 30,330 acres of government land in the county. 



CONECUH COUNTY. 



^^ONECUH was established as a county in 1818. The name 
\Om is derived from two Indian terms, which, taken 



i^-' 



together, 

'^ mean "Caneland," or "Land of Cane," supposed to have 
been suggested by the beautiful straight cane which grew along 
the banks of its wide and clear streams when the red man held 
sway. The early settlers describe the face of the country as 
having been one of surpassing loveliness before the woodman's 
axe laid the forests low, and the hands of progressive art displaced 
the wigwam of the rude children of the woods. The land was 
radiant with long, waving grass, interspersed with the wild oat 
and the native peavine, in the midst of which gr^w the towering 
forms of monarch pines. At any time could be seen herds of 
deer and flocks of wild turkeys roving at will over these lauds of 
smiling beauty. The whites first occupied its soil in 1815. 

The county has an area of 840 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 12,605; population in 1890, 18,594. 
White, 7,987; colored, 6,607. 

Area planted in cotton, 22,510 acres; in corn, 24,224 acres; 
in oats, 8,324 acres; in rye, 7 acres; in sugar-cane, 267 acres; in 



216 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



rice, 121 acres; in sweet potatoes, 652 acres; in tobacco, 1 acre. 

Cotton P7'oduction — 8,167 bales. 

Situated in the southern part of the State, about sixty miles 
from the coast, it is embraced in what is denominated by the State 
geologist, the "Oak and hickory uplands, with long-leaf pine 
region," coming direct within the scope of the great timber belt, 
a large proportion of the half million acres of un tilled land being 
covered with the famous Southern yellow pine, so highly prized 
in the Northern and European markets for building material. 
Much of this timber is actually being manufactured into lumber 
and square timber for these markets, but the supply is practically 
exhaustless; so that many generations to come will experience no 
inconvenience by reason of its scarcity. 

Besides this, there are large quantities of oak, hickory, ash, 
poplar, cypress, juniper, magnolia, gum, etc., all suitable for build- 
ing and manufacturing purposes. 

While the deep, sandy loam, characteristic of the pine regions, 
predominates in its aggregate area, there are large tracts of stiff, 
red clay and lime soil, eminently adapted to the production of cot- 
ton and the other field crops cultivated here, which are being 
eagerly sought after for farming purposes. This is especially 
true since the introduction of commercial fertilizers, which, un- 
der judicious management, always returns a good profit to the 
farmer. 

In addition to the production of cotton, corn, oats, rice, peas, 
potatoes, sugar-cane, millet, sorghum, and the native grasses, 
these soils have been found well adapted to the raising of vegeta- 
bles. Fruits are easily and abundantly grown, such as apples, 
pears, quinces, figs, pomegranates, strawberries, rasberries, and 
walnuts. Pecans have been cultivated with great satisfaction. 
Every variety of grape known to the South is produced, and it is 
believed that the crates which are now shipped will soon be mul- 
tiplied into car-loads. 

The LeConte pear has been found to succeed well here, and 
numerous orchards are being planted, which within a few years 
may be expected to rival the much- talked of orange groves of 
Florida for clear profit to the proprietors. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 217 



THE CLIMATE 

is mild. We are here removed from the extreme rigors of a 
Northern winter, and blizzRrds lose their identity when they come 
in contact with the warm sea breezes of the gulf. The average 
temperature for five years, ending December 31st, 1887, from ob- 
servations taken thrice daily, morning, noon and night, is as fol- 
lows: January, 49,34; February, 57,26; March, 53,96; April, 70,16 
May, 72,35; June, 76,87; July, 78,48; August, 76,71; September, 
63,92; October, 57,37; November, 52,58; December, 45,58, Fah. 
The highest noon average being 86,12, in August. 

No section of this or any other State can boast of better health 
than is enjoyed here. 

The few cases of malaria met with, comprising the major por- 
tion of disease here prevalent, are confined to limited districts, 
adjacent to the low lands and water courses, and are rarely of a 
serious character, generally yielding readily to a system of ju- 
dicious treatment. 

The fatal and dreaded lung disease of more northern latitudes 
are of rare occurrence, as are also affections of the kidneys. Epi- 
demics are unknown here. 

The main line of the Louisville «fe Nashville Railroad, the great 
thoroughfare from the North and East to the South and South- 
west, runs directly through this county for a distance of thirty 
miles, with a branch road traversing its western border for about 
fifteen or twenty more; thus affording facilities for the rapid 
transportation of its various products at equitable rates. 

The prices of land vary according to location and other advan- 
ges, but for the most part scarcely more than nominal. Near the 
railroads and towns good farming land sell anywhere from $ 2.50 
to $ 25 per acre, the latter figure representing, of course, only a 
few fancy small farms near towns and villages. Timber lands are 
worth from $ 1.25 to $ 5 per acre, while old waste fields often sell 
for fifty cents. 

The principal streams are Conecuh River, Little Escambia, 
Murder, Bottle, Burnt Corn, Sepulga, Brush, and Beaver Creeks, 
all of which are sustained by many valuable tributaries. Some 



2L8 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



of these large streams are bordered by immense swamps, well 
filled with oak aud hickory, the fruit of which sustains, every fall 
greet droves of hogs. Nothing else is needed to prepare them 
for the slaughter pen and storeroom. 

Marl is found existing in portions of the county, as is also 
mica. A large mica bed exists near Evergreen. In some parts 
the surface is overlaid with fine specimens of iron ore. Lime- 
stone abounds, and the white limestone, which appears in quarries, 
has been used for three-quarters of a century for building chim- 
neys. It is a rock of snowy whiteness and is inexhaustible. In 
the southeastern portion of the county is a great cave — Turk's — 
in which there are valuable deposits of fertilizers. 

The places of interest are Evergreen, the county seat, with a 
population of about 1,200, Castleberry, Gravella, Bellville, Brook- 
lyn, and Repton. The educational aud religious advantages at 
all these points are good. A superior high school for boys and 
girls is found at Evergreen. A good common-school system 
exists throughout the county. There is a mineral spring of some 
local note at Evergreen, aud a hotel of repute for Northern visit- 
ors in winter. 

Conecuh is traversed throughout by the Louisville & Nashville 
Railroad, and is penetrated also by a portion of the Selma & Pen- 
sacola Railroad. The lands penetrated by these lines are of such 
character as to suggest the profit that would arise from market 
gardening. 

At Castleberry there was, until of late, an extensive turpentine 
manufactory. A furniture manufactory exists at that point now. 

The county has about 32,40 acres of government land, much 
of which is heavily timbered with yellow pine. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 219 



BUTLER COUNIY. 

fffff^ HE county of Butler was established in 1819. It derived 
Ijlaj ll its name from one of the earliest settlers — Captain Wil- 
\s)m ^ liani Butler, 

There is a great diversity of soil and a corresponding 
variety of productions in the county. Its climate, health, location 
and resources give promise that it will become one of the leading 
counties of this great timber section. Its area embraces 800 
square miles. 

Population in 1880, 19,646; population in 1890, 21,641. White, 
11,326; colored, 10,315. 

Area planted in cotton, 47,589 acres; in corn, 31,662 acres; in 
oats, 7,342 acres; in sugar-cane, 338 acres; in rice, 17 acres; in 
sweet potatoes, 679 acres; in rye, 1 acre; in tobacco, 2 acres. 

Cotton Production — 18,200 bales. 

The general surface of Butler county is rolling with some hills 
in the west. The lands are beautifully adapted to diversified hus- 
bandry. In the northwestern portion the soil is prairie and pro- 
lific. Through the middle portions there are red lands whose 
value is highly prized by the planters of the county. In the 
southern portion the soil is both red and gray. Along the higher 
table-lands of Butler are found the sandy soils which belong to 
all high pine regions ; but like the lands of this class throughout 
the Timber Belt, there is a clay subsoil, of considerable depth, 
which gives to the deep-rooted crops immense advantage. In the 
hilly portion of Butler where the highest points are of thin soil, 
the slopes and valleys are quite productive. There is a consider- 
ble mixture of lime with the soil in the creek bottoms. This is 
due to the washings from the neighboring lime hills. 

The soils of the county produce cotton, corn, oats, sugar-cane, 
rice, barley, rye, peas, peanuts, sweet and Irish potatoes. 

No crop raised upon Southern soil can be planted in Butler 
without receiving an adequate return, provided the seasons are 
favorable. Many of the lands are fertile, and when they are com- 
paratively thin they are easily fertilized, and where they need 
such aid, are well calculated to retain the manures. A fact of 



220 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



great practical value may be mentioned here as admitting of equal 
application to every county in the great Timber Belt, viz: In the 
sections which need the application of fertilizers there are won- 
derful quantities of pine straw and leaves, which, when thrown 
into stables and pens, serve to make the best domestic fertilizers. 
For more than a half century this course has been adopted by 
planters, and their lands have been kept enriched from year to 
year. Through a long period of years cotton and corn were al- 
most the exclusive crops; but a marvelous change is now being 
wrought in the practical industries of the county. The produc- 
tion of oats is now engrossing more attention than formerly. The 
same is true of rice. Sugar-cane is so easily grown and its yield 
is so abundant that it is fast becoming one of the staple produc- 
tions of the county. 

Perhaps in no county in the Timber Belt is more attention 
bestowed upon the orchard than in Butler. Superior apples 
peaches, pears, and watermelons are produced. Figs thrive in 
the fence corners and out-of-the-way places, and with no attention 
the yield is very great. With slight attention, the fig would 
thrive quite as well here as in any part of the world. The grape 
has received considerable attention, and the returns from the cul- 
ture of the vine are excellent. In the town of Greenville, Hon. 
J. C. Richardson has given considerable attention to the produc- 
tion of fruits, and especially of the different varieties of grapes 
and pears. The yield is quite large every year and the fruits 
grow to perfection. Major D. G. Dunklin, of the same place, 
raises grapes for shipment, from which he derives considerable 
revenue. 

The fields and forests of Butler are overspread with native 
clovers and grasses, which encourage stock raising. About the 
center of population great quantities of milk and butter are pro- 
duced for home consumption and the local markets. Raising 
beef for distant markets, and wool growing, are now receiving 
some attention. 

Vegetables grow to perfection, and truck farming and market 
gardening are somewhat engaged in, especially in the neighbor- 
hood of Greenville. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 221 



In different sections of Butler county there are splendid forests 
of timber comprising the several varieties of oak, pine, ash, gum, 
cedar, poplar, hickory, dogwood, maple, beech, and magnolia. Of 
the yellow, or long- leaf pine, there are vast districts, and the tim- 
ber is equal to that of any other section of this Belt. In the 
northern or prairie region of Butler there are belts of cedar 
growth as fine as can be obtained in the Union. 

The county abounds in excellent water supplies. Springs, wells, 
and creeks abound in freestone and lime water. The county is 
somewhat noted for its mineral springs. Butler springs have 
long been noted for its medicinal waters, and when easier acces- 
sibility is had, the springs will come into note. But one of the 
most remarkable mineral wells is found within three miles of 
Greenville — McCall's Mineral Well. Its waters are pronounced 
the "strongest," of the various mineral waters known in America. 
For dyspepsia and chronic derangement of the urinary organs, 
and all phases of eruptions, the waters are excellent. 

Of the chief streams of the county it may be said that Pine 
Barren and Cedar Creeks, head in the northwest, while the tribu- 
taries of the Sepulga River run through other portions. Pigeon 
and Panther Creeks are excellent streams of water. 

Greenville, the county seat, with a population of 3,500, Georgi- 
ana. Garland, Monterey, and Forest Home, are the centers of in- 
terest. All have remarkably fine educational advantages. 

At Greenville there are three institutions of repute, viz: The 
Greenville Collegiate Institute, the South Alabama Female Insti- 
tute, and the Greenville High School. Public schools are located 
in every township in the county. 

GREENVILLE. 

Greenville, a flourishing little city of 3,500 inhabitants, is the 
seat of justice for the county, and is noted far and wide for its 
pure freestone water, healthful climate, flourishing schools and 
churches, and refined society. Greenville has an annual trade of 
over a million dollars, and her citizens pay taxes on $ 850.000 
worth of property. It is the commercial center of an excellent 
section of farming country, and is destined to be the peer of any 



222 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



city in South Alabama. There are several factories and other en- 
terprizes in successful operation, and the future of the town is 
bright and promising. 

There are several deposits of iron ore in different portions of 
the county, specimeas of which have been analyzed and found 
to contain about 50 per cent of metalic iron. The ore is of the 
needle variety and could be easily worked. As those deposits 
are not convenient to the railroad, they have not as yet been prop- 
erly developed. The deposits of lime-stone ia the northwestern 
portion of the county are immense, and will some day prove very 
valuable. In the northwestern portion of the county are deposits 
of phosphate beds. An analysis of the specimens has caused ex- 
perienced chemists to pronounce them similar to those found in 
the celebrated phosphate beds of South Carolina. 

In addition to the public lands in the county, there are large 
districts of cheap land belonging to different corporations. Among 
these may be mentioned the following: The Louisville & Nash- 
ville Railroad Company owns 8,800 acres; the Michigan Land 
Company pays taxes on 10,700 acres; the Milner, Caldwell & 
Flowers Lumber Company, something over 35,000 acres; the 
Rocky Creek Lumber Company 8,000 acres; Dunham Lumber 
Company 23,000 acres, while Judge S. J. Boiling and Joseph 
Steiner each lays claim to something over 39,000 acres. Several 
other wealthy men own large tracts of farming lands in different 
portions of the county. 

Some of the leading lumber interests of South Alabama are 
found in Butler along the line of the Jjouisville & Nashville Rail- 
road. They are devoted exclusively to the manufacture of pine 
lumber, which is shipped to the most distant parts of the country. 
Many other industries, such as gins and water mills abound. 

Those desiring lands may secure them in many localities at 
nominal figures. The present market price extends from $ 1.50 
to $ 10 per acre. There are in the county 640 acres of public 
lands subject to homestead entry. 

Pleasant and cheap homes are here afforded those desiring to 
settle. The people are industrious, thrifty and quiet, and immi- 
grants will be well received. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 223 



IGU 



COVINGTON COUNTY. 

STABLISHED in 1821, this county took its name from 
General Leonard W. Covington, of Maryland. It is noted 

|S^ for its streams, grazing lands, and superb region of timber. 
Like other sections of Alabama, Covington has failed of apprecia- 
tion, because of its remoteness from lines of transportation. 

The development of its abounding resources will follow in the 
wake of transportation facilities. The county has an area of 
1,030 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 5,639; population in 1890, 7,536; White, 
6,695; colored, 841. 

Area planted in cotton, 7,775 acres; in corn, 16,794 acres; in 
oats, 1,601 acres; in rice, 47 acres; in sugar-cane, 147 acres; in 
sweet potatoes, 466 acres ; in rye, 1 acre ; in tobacco, 1 acre. 

Cotton Production — 2,740 bales. 

The entire surface of Covington is, for the most part, level and 
yet with undulation sufficient in many portions of the county for 
thorough drainage. 

In the northern end of Covington are found the red uplands, 
which have become justly famous to planters in the adjoining 
counties. These, however, are not extensive, and for fertile soils 
the people have to resort to the lands in the bottoms. Lands of 
more than average quality are found in different districts through- 
out the county of Covington. Where they have been properly 
fertilized, the pine uplands have produced well. 

It will be remembered by the readers of agricultural journals, 
that it was on just such level pine lands as those which prevail 
in Covington County, that Mr. David Dickson had such a won- 
derful yield in Hancock County, Georgia, in 1868. According to 
the statement of the Southern Cultivator he gathered from two 
to three bales from each acre, after proper tillage. 

The lands are susceptible of a high degree of enrichment by 
manures, are easily tilled, and capable of producing, not only a 
great variety of crops, but several in rotation every year. In 
some instances the lands of Covington county havebeen made to 



224 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



yield from forty to sixty bushels of corn per acre ; from thirty to 
seventy bushels of oats; from forty to eighty bushels of rice, and 
from one hundred to three hundred bushels potatoes. The best 
lands in Covington are the mulatto soils and those of a flowery 
gray. They each have a capital subsoil which begins from ten to 
sixteen inches from the surface. 

The bottom lands, as has been intimated, are of excellent qual- 
ity. There flourishes upon the lands such farm productions as 
cotton, corn, oats, rice, sugar-cane, millet (in many varieties), 
sweet and Irish potatoes, pumpkins, peas and peanuts. Where 
the land is enriched these grow rapidly, and are easily produced 
by reason of the general looseness of the soil. Improved imple- 
ments of agriculture upon these level tracts would prove valuable 
and remunerative. The productions of the lands have been 
gathered from the shallowest surface, while the subsoil, but a few 
inches beneath, has been largely untouched. 

Fruits grow in vaieties and profusion. These include melons 
apples, peaches, grapes, figs, plums, quinces, strawberries, rasp- 
berries and pecans. With transportation, these productions 
would find a ready market, and be a source of great revenue to 
the county. The Mobile and Girard Eailroad now penetrates 
the county. 

The timbers of the county are yellow or long leaf pine, oak, 
hickory, elm, beech and poplar. The county is noted for its for- 
ests of towering pine. Districts of this magnificent timber extend 
for many miles in all directions through the county. Beneath 
these lofty pines there flourish the greenest grasses and legum- 
inous plants, which afford superior range for herds of cattle, 
sheep and goats. Great quantities of lumber are hewn from the 
forests every season and floated along the principal streams to the 
markets of the Gulf. 

The county has some of the largest and deepest streams known 
to the southern section of the State. Among these may be named 
Conecuh, Patsaliga, Sepulga and Yellow Rivers, and Pigeon, 
Limestone, Five Runs and Forks of Yellow River, besides many 
others of less value. These great streams are quite serviceable 
to lumber men during the fall and winter season as furnishing 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 225 



the channels of commerce for their superior yellow pine timber. 
They are also noted for their abundance of fish. With little dif- 
ficulty superior trout, bream and perch are caught from the 
streams. As in the forests adjoining, there are many deer still 
to be found. Rare sport is here afforded, both for hunter and 
angler. Specimens, both of iron and marl have been found in 
Covington. The chief pursuits are timbering and farming. 
Wool-growing is becoming one of the industries of the county. 
Vast quantities of honey are every year produced. 

The county is without transportation, except by means of wag- 
on, to the railroads which penetrate the adjoining counties. The 
South Alabama Eailroad is projected through Covington, and is 
expected to run via Andalusia to Evergreen, Conecuh county. 
The Conecuh River is navigable for light boats at certain seasons. 
They ascend as high as the nearest landing to Andalusia. But 
for the obstruction in the river, it would be a valuable waterway 
to this section of Alabama. The points of interest are Andalusia, 
the county- seat, with a population of 200, Rose Hill, Fairfield, 
Red Level, Lakeview, and Shirley. The leading schools of the 
county are at Andalusia, Rose Hill, and Red Level, though the 
public school system reaches every precinct. Churches, mainly 
of the Baptist and Methodist denominations prevail, both in the 
country and the villages. 

The prices of land vary from ^1 to $5 per acre. Covington 
county has a larger district of government land than any otber in 
the State there being 30,000 acres. 

Viewed as a whole, the water of Covington county is abundant, 
the climate salubrious, and the health unsurpassed. In addition 
to its remarkable climate, it has all the other conditions which 
are conducive to a rapid rotation of crops, and of easy accumula- 
tion of the comforts of home. No more inviting region is found 
in this State. 



10 



226 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



2 



I 



CEENSHAW COUNTY. 

his county was formed in 1865, and named for Hon. An- 
derson Crenshaw. It lies in that section of the State to- 
ward which much attention is now being turned, because 
TJ of its varied resources and growing industries. Debarred 
the enjoyment of railroad privileges, there has not been that 
spirit of enterprise and energy which is warranted by the varied 
resources of Crenshaw. The area of the county is 660 square 
miles. 

Population in 1880, 11,727; population 1890, 15,425. White, 
11,745; colored, 3,680. 

Area planted in cotton, 36,489 acres; in corn, 29,806 acres; 
in oats, 6,218 acres; in rje, 7; tobacco, 3; in rice, 25 acres; in 
sugar-cane, 294 acres; in sweet potatoes, 558 acres. 

Cotton Production — 3 3,442 bales. 

The surface of Crenshaw is undulating. In the northern por- 
tion is found a reddish lime land, which is productive, and upon 
which are seen many of the excellent farms of the county. In 
the soil here found, are small rounded lumps of brown iron ore. 
The lands upon the upper surfaces aie good, but along the bot- 
toms they increase very much in fertility, having the benefit of 
the washing of the hills. In the central portion of the county 
they are decidedly limy. A limestone of considerable purity, and 
in vast abundance, shows itself along the banks of streams. This 
has been burnt to advantage, and would assist in the enrichment 
of adjacent lands if employed for that purpose. Its abundance 
and richness suggests its commercial value when transportation 
will justify it. The character of the land lying in southern half 
of the county differs materially from that Ijiog northward. In 
this lower portion they are largely pine lands, with all the ruling 
characteristics which belong to such, interspersed with areas of 
finer, and stiffer, and richer soils, upon which grow oak and hick- 
ory. In the extreme southern end of the county are occasional 
tracts of red lime land. This land resembles the lime land which 
is contiguous to the larger streams in the adjacent counties. In 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 227 



addition to these lands already named, there are the dark loam 
and sandy lands which skirt Patsaliga Kiver. Thus, it will be 
seen that Crenshaw has a diversity of soils, but means exist for 
making them far more uniform in productiveness than they are 
at present. 

Could the abounding lime of the central of the county be trans- 
ferred to the limeless pine lands, the result would be most bene- 
ficial, especially when these thin surface soils possess such a 
deep clay foundation. 

The lands of the county produce cotton, corn, oats, rye, rice, 
peas, potatoes, pumpkins, peanuts, and sugar-cane.- Remuner- 
ative crops of all these productions are annually grown in all 
parts of the county. The staple products of the county are cot- 
ton and corn; but the other productions are taking rank as sta- 
ples, especially potatoes and sugar-cane. There is an annual 
increase in the production of these crops. Here, as in the ad- 
joining counties, are found superior pasture lands, which afford 
nourishment for stock almost throughout the year. Grasses over- 
spread the forests and waste places, and the streams are skirted 
with cane. 

Fruits of different sorts abound, chief among which are peaches, 
pears, apples, and figs. Vineyards do extremely well, and many 
luscious grapes are annually growu. Were a market convenient, 
fruit raising would be profitable. 

Wool growing is increasing in its proportions every year. 
Stock raising is attracting some attention, but the chief pursuit is 
that of planting. The growth of the forests is pine, oak, hickory, 
gum, cypress, and poplar. Principal among tliese is the pine. 
Extensive forests of this growth overspread almost the entire 
southern half of Crenshaw. It is scarcely touched in many 
places, and is silently awaiting the opening of avenues of trans- 
portation, that its turpentine and lumber may seek their way to 
market. Many saw mills, both steam and water, exist in the 
county ; but the lumber thus manufactured is almost entirely for 
the home trade. 

Principal among the streams are Manack Creek, which heads 
in the northwestern part of the county. Yellow Water, Conecuh, 



228 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



and Patsaliga Rivers, These together with their numerous 
branches, afford great quantities of water to every part of the 
county. These streams are supplied with excellent fish. 

The points of interest in the county are Rutledge, the county 
seat, Luverne, with a population of 1,200, E-ocky Mount, Honora- 
ville, New Providence, Bullock, Mount Ida, Leon, and Highland 
Home. 

Good schools exist at most of these places, but the most promi- 
nent educational interests are found at Rocky Mount, Rutledge, 
and Highland Home. At the last named point is a school of con- 
siderable distinction for both sexes. Churches of the different 
denominations of Christians abound throughout the county. 

For transportation, the people rely mainly upon the Montgom- 
ery & Florida Railroad, and the Alabama Midland, which termi- 
nates at Luverne. This road is now being rapidly built through 
this section, and will soon penetrate the heart of the county, 
thus giving exit to the resources which have been useless to the 
people by reason of the absence of transportation. Those living 
in the western portion of the county are accessible to the Louis- 
ville & Nashville, and those living in the northern end are easily 
accessible to the Mobile & Girard. 

In this county, as in all others in this region, lands may be 
had at very moderate figures. Overspread with forests of :splendid 
timber, both of pine and oak, they are destined to be quite valua- 
ble, and yet may be bought in some sections for $1 per acre, in 
others for $2.50, and in others, still, for $5. 

There are 2,400 acres of land belonging to the general govern- 
ment in Crenshaw, not yet appropriated. 

Vast tracts of land may be purchased at nominal prices, and 
the people would welcome immigrants of thrifty habits. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 22d 




PIKE COUNTY. 

^HE county of Pike was created in 1821. Its name was 
given in honor of General Zebulon M. Pike, of New 
Jersey. It has become one of the most progressive 
counties in the Timber Belt since the construction of the 
Mobile & Girard Eailway, and the Alabama Midland. Its county- 
seat, Troy, has been noted, of late years, for the enterprise and 
thrift of its citizens. By reason of its geographical location it 
has become, to a large degree, a distributing point to much of the 
territory lying south. 

Pik county has an area of 740 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 20,640; population in 1890, 24,423. White, 
15,349; colored, 9,074. 

Area planted in cotton, 66,625 acres; in corn, 46,480 acres; in 
oats, 4958 acres; in wheat, 9 acres; in rye, 7 acres; in sugar-cane, 
400 acres; in sweet potatoes, 883 acres; in tobacco 1. 

CoUon Production^ 25,879 bales. 

The northern and central portions of Pike are hilly; the re- 
mainder of the county is largely of a level surface. The land is 
quite varied in its fertility. Along the sandy ridges which pre- 
vail in different portions of Pike, the lands are thin, with an ac- 
companying clay foundation of red or yellow. 

In tbe eastern part is seen the formation of the famous Chun- 
nenuggee ride. Upon the topmost lands of this ridge there is a 
surface of sand, but the slopes are of a limy character and have 
a lasting and productive soil. In the bottoms, between these 
lime hills, the lands are of the best character. Their productive 
virtues will be inexhaustible for many years to come. South 
of this Chunnenuggee formation there is a strip of lime country. 
From the city of Troy southward a number of miles, there is 
a stiff lime and clay soil of wonderful fertility, while still fur- 
ther south the lands grow thinner and more sandy, and are 
overgrown by the finest pine timber. Throughout this southern 
section of the county there is a prevalence of pine forests with 
occasional interspersion of oak and hickory lands. Where these 



230 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



last-named lands appear they are highly appreciated for their 
productive qualities. 

In the southeastern portion of the county there are many 
superior farming lands. They are of a stiff, clayey nature, 
but are much prized for their fertilty. Than this there is not 
a better farming section in the whole county. In the western 
and central portions of Pike there are occurrences of pure lime- 
stone in sufficient quantities to supply the evident deficiency 
in the soils of the pine lands. Judiciously distributed over the 
surface of the thin pine soils, their valuation would be greatly 
enhanced. 

The most of the lands that can be used in Pike for farming 
purposes lie quite favorably for enrichment with fertilizers. 
This fact has encouraged the importation of many fertilizers 
into the county. The annual sales of these manures at Troy are 
immense. This gives us a bird's eye view of the county of Pike 
and of its varied soils. Upon these lauds are generally grown 
corn, cotton, oats, wheat, rye, rice, sorghum, sugar-cane, and po- 
tatoes. Large crops of peas and peanuts are also produced. The 
county has ^long ranked among the foremost in the State in its 
capacity to produce sweet potatoes and the Cuban sugar-cane. 

Both these crops thrive wonderfully well. These soils produce 
as fruits, apples, peaches, plums, pears, grapes, quinces, figs 
and pomegranates, together with melons, cantaloupes, rasp- 
berries and strawberries. To visit Trov during: the fruit season 
is to witness the luxuries produced in orchard and garden alike 
in the surrounding country. 

There is a perceptible progress in the improvement of the stock 
of the county, especially about the centers of interest. This is 
promoting the raising of grasses and clovers. More attention is 
gradually being given to the raising of swine. The timbers of 
the forests of Pike are oak, hickory, elm, poplar, cypress, beech 
and pine. ; Of the last named there are very great forests, valua- 
ble alike for its flammable qualities and its turpentine and lum- 
ber. Mills for the manufacture of lumber are found in every 
part of the county. Pike is drained through two main streams 
and their tributaries. These are the Conecuh and Pea Rivers. 



232 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Many very fine branches and creeks penetrate the county, and 
seek their outlet through these principal channels. The waters 
are wonderfully clear, the bottoms of the streams being often 
overspread with a sand of snowy whiteness, and again with beauti- 
ful pebbles. Many fine fish are caught from these streams. They 
are also used, as in the adjoining counties, for floating the mas- 
sive pine timbers to the markets on the Gulf. 

The centers of interest in Pike are Troy, a beautiful little city 
of 5,000, Brundidge and Orion. These are important social cen- 
ters, and are proud of their educational facilities. Troy has a 
collegiate institute, besides other schools of merit A normal 
college has been established there. A good common school sys- 
tem reaches every portion of the county. Troy is a point of un- 
usual importance because of its relation to the surrounding re- 
gion of country, Troy has become an important distributing 
center. It serves as a valuable cotton market, and receives a 
considerable quantity of this staple every season. 

Immigrants will be able to purchase lands in Pike county for 
sums ranging from 1 1,50 to $10 per acre. Government lands, 
subject to entry, are found in the county. Men seeking homes 
will be welcomed to Pike, and so will capitalists seeking invest- 
ments. The people are mostly of a progressive spirit, and are 
eager to see their unpopulated districts peopled with men of pluck 
and enterprise. 

Government land to the extent of l,OiO acres exist in the county. 



COFFEE COUNTY. 



^P REATED in 1841, this county took its name from that of 
vH^ General John Coffee. It is highly favored with respect to 
**'^S* its climate and superior healthfulness. It lies in the heart 
of the great Timber Belt, and all the characteristics which belong 
to that beautiful region are found existing here — extensive 
domains of forests of pine, with here and there a stream of crys- 
tal clearness, and carpeted throughout with pastures of perennial 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 233 



green; with a slightly undulating surface, afiPording lands of 
varying fertility, and with conditions of soil favorable alike to the 
pursuits of agriculture, horticulture and stock-raising. Remote 
from the great arteries of commerce and centers of trade, its at- 
tractions are unknown; but it is questionable whether a more 
populous section can be found in Alabama than just here when 
the intrinsic worth of this region shall have become known. Its 
area comprises 700 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 8,119; population in 1890, 12,170. White 
10,237; colored, 1,933. 

Area planted in cotton, 35,449 acres; in corn, 28,787; in oats 
4,665 acres; in rye, 7 acres; in wheat, 3 acres; in rice, 21 acres; 
in sugar cane, 254 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 474 acres ; in tobacco, 3 
acres. 

Cotton Production — 11,791 bales. 

In the main, the surface of Coffee county is level ; but in the 
northern portion it is broken and hilly. The northern and south- 
ern portions differ very much in this respect — the southern being 
quite level. Above Elba, the county-seat, there are what are 
locally called "the red clay hills," which, together with the inter- 
vening bottoms, are fairly productive. Going southward from 
the point indicated, one gets a view of the most magnificent forests 
of yellow pine upon the globe. It is impossible to estimate the 
wealth treasured up in these splendid trees, the forests of which 
abound for many miles throughout the county of Coffee. As yet, 
the lands over these vast ranges are used for little less than graz- 
ing purposes. Subsoil tillage will eventually place them among 
the most attractive agricultural lands in Alabama. At present, 
they are the haunts of extensive herds of cattle and sheep. The 
richest pasturage prevails here almost throughout the year. This 
is true of the pine districts. 

Turning our attention to other qualities of soil, we find it in 
cultivation and producing quite readily. Previous to this, the 
farming interests of the county were restricted to the northern 
portions, but within the last two or three years a thrifty class of 
farmers have entered more than 40,000 acres of land in the south- 
ern part, and are rapidly improving the soil. The productions of 



234 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



the county are corn, cotton, oats, rye, rice, potatoes (sweet and 
Irish), sugar-cane. 

Like those of the surrounding counties, the people of Coffee are 
coming more and more to recognize the merits of the Cuban sugar- 
cane. Its production is easy and renumerative. 

Fruits are readily produced here. Apples, peare, peaches, 
plums, quinces, and pomegranates are the principal fruits. The 
woods abound in wild fruits for man and beast. Grapes rapidly 
attain perfection, and with proper cultivation will become remu- 
nerative. 

A green sand marl has been observed at Kimneey's mill, south 
of Elba, but its extent has not yet been ascertained. 

The timbers of the county are oak, hickory, ash, beech, poplar, 
and pine. The northeastern part of the county is heavily tim- 
bered with oak, hickory and ash. The interior of the county is 
usually covered with the forests of yellow pine. 

The chief industries of Coffee are farming, timbering, and stock 
raising. Wool growing has long been an important branch of 
business. 

The principal streams are Pea Kiver, and White Water, Big 
Bluff, and Double Bridge creeks. Fish of superior quality 
abound in these streams. Branches of perpetual flow, traverse 
the whole face of the country. Mineral springs also exist. 

Elba, the county seat, with a population of 600, Victoria, Clin- 
tonville, and Brannon are the points of interest. 

School facilities are moderately good, and religious advantages 
are excellent. 

The county is without river or railroad transportation, and relies 
mainly upon Troy, in the adjoining county of Pike, as a market, 
and as the nearest accessible point of transportation by rail. Rail- 
roads have been projected through the county, and it is believed 
that at no remote period, the county will have its slumbering re- 
sources recognized by reason of the existence of these great agen- 
cies of development. 

Lauds may be purchased for ^1 and $3 per acre. 

Many of the most valuable lands of Coffee belong to the gov- 
ernment, and may be entered; of these there are 3,560 acres. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 235 



The people of the county are eager to have immigrants settle 
in their midst and assist in its development. 



GENEVA COUNTY. 



i^m^ ^\ HE county of Geneva was formed in 1868. It is one of 
l|Sij M the most progressive counties in this portion of the State. 
® l» <*5 Capital and enterprise have been won to it, and its lands 
are being rapidly occupied. Long remote from impor- 
tant lines of transportation, it now enjoys facilities which enable 
its numberless resources to find their way easily to market. The 
wide-awake spirit which prevails among the people of Geneva, may 
be inferred from the rapid increase of population within the last 
four years. The figures given below are those taken from the 
census report of 1870 and 1880; but since the last National census, 
the population has more than doubled, being in 1884, 9,557. 
Attention is now called more minutely to its resources and ad- 
vantages. It has an area of 648 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 4,342; population 1890, 10,690. White, 
9,664; colored 1,026. 

Area planted in cotton, 21,133 acres; in corn, 21,154 acres; in 
oats, 2,084 acres; in sugar-cane, 118 acres; in rice, 54 acres; in 
sweet potatoes, 350 acres; in rye, 2 acres; tobacco, 1 acre. 

Cotton Production — 7,158 bales. 

The surface of the county is usually level. The lands are 
generally of a light, sandy loam. In some sections of the county 
they are stiff, and produce with ease under favorable auspices. 

The yield never fails to be generous where the lands are 
aided by fertilizers and judiciously cultivated. In the eastern 
part of the county, the lands are of a superior quality, being fine 
lime soil. In the southeastern portion, where Geneva county 
comes in contact with the Florida line, there are red lime lands, 
the reputation of which is great, not only in this, but in a 
number of other counties of the Timber Belt. 



236 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Here, as elsewhere, throughout this timber region, there is 
the possible variety in the soils. As is to be expected, there 
is a prevalence of yellow pine forests in Geneva county, and here, 
as in other counties, the surface contains a thin, sandy soil, which 
is based upon a deep foundation of clay. But cultivation has 
proved that these lands may be made quite valuable for farming 
purposes. Where the deficiencies of plant-foot occur in the soil, 
all that is needed is to supply them with proper fertilizers, and 
then with diligent culture the yield is inevitable, and always in 
proportion to the enrichment and cultivation. In the more fertile 
sections, of course, this is not demanded. Until a few years past, 
the production of cotton in this country had received but slight 
attention, the chief pursuits of the people being the lumber busi- 
ness and stock-raisiug. But within the last few years, cotton has 
been successfully raised, and the value of the lands has been 
greatly enchanced by the use of domestic and commercial fertili- 
zers. It is not an uncommon occurrence to raise a bale of cotton 
to two acres. The soils at an early season are warm and well 
drained, resulting in speedy germination, and consequent fruitage. 
The advantages offered by Geneva, have served to attract many 
immigrants from other counties. 

In the eastern part of the coanty along the Chipola River, there 
prevail lime lands that are noted for their fertility. 

The productions are, cotton, corn, peas, oats, sweet potatoes, 
and peanuts. All these thrive quite readily. Vegetables of all 
kinds are easily produced. The chief fruits grown are, melons, 
peaches, figs, and grapes. The efforts made to produce these, 
have been the most encouraging possible. 

The trees are largely those of yellow pine, while there are also 
oaks, hickory, poplar, and beech. The manufacture of the pines 
into lumber for shipment, is a growing branch of business. 
Large quantities of logs are floated down the waters of the prin- 
cipal streams to markets further south. The manufacture of 
turpentine is also a pursuit, the proportions of which are con- 
stantly increasing. 

The streams of the county are the Choctawhatchee, Chipola, 
and Pea Rivers, and Bear, Big, Spring, Wright's, Plates's, Pitt- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 237 



man's, Martin's, Hurricane, Double Bridges, Rocky, Providence, 
Wilkerson's, Beaver-Dam, Sandy, Flat, and Comer Creeks. These 
are valuable streams, and aflPord an immense water power. From 
these streams, are caught many excellent fish. 

Transportation is afforded the county by steamers upon the 
Choctawhatchee River, which ascend as high as Geneva and oper- 
ates in connection with the trains upon the Pensacola & Atlantic 
Railroad. This affords a valuable outlet of commerce to the 
people of Geneva, and has been the occasion of mucli of the pro- 
gress which has marked the history of the county in the imme- 
diate past. 

Cheap and expeditious transportation is thus afforded the peo- 
ple of the entire county. Fortunately, the Choctawhatchee River 
penetrates the very center of the county. With slight improve- 
ment. Pea river, which traverses the county in the west, might be 
made valuable as a medium of transportation. Many valuable 
products, such as honey and wool, would become sources of great 
revenue, with increased transportation. The census of 1880, 
places the county of Geneva in advance of every other in the State, 
in sheep-raising. 

There is reason to believe that phosphate deposits exist in the 
county. 

Coffee Springs, ten miles north of Geneva, is quite a watering 
resort, and is destined to become more so because of the curative 
powers of the waters. 

Geneva, Millville and Coffee Springs are the points of interest; 
the first-named is the seat of justice of the county. 

Schools are moderately good and are annually improving. 
Churches of the Baptist and Methodist denominations principally, 
exist. 

Lands may be had as low as $1 and $3 per acre. Vast quanti- 
ties of public or government land are found in Geneva, there 
being 17,040 acres. Rare inducements for investments or for 
settlements are found in this young and growing county. The 
people are of a progressive spirit and will cordially welcome 
to the county men of limited means who are seeking cheap 



238 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



and pleasant homes, as they will the capitalist with ampler re- 
sources who desires to make a profitable investment. 



DALE COUNTY. 



^PHIS county was organized in 1854, and named in honor of 
ga^ General Samuel Dale. It is one of the counties of the 
^w"^ State in which there were manufactories prior to the war. 
Its people have long been noted for their sobriety and progress- 
iveness, and, in the centers of interest, for their intelligence. 
Possessing a varied soil, genial climate, healthful atmosphere, 
abounding resources of water, rich pasture lands and broad forests 
of pine. Dale county is the peer of any other section in this por- 
tion of Alabama. It has an area of 650 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 12,667; population in 1890, 17,225. 
White, 13,867; colored, 3,358. 

Area planted in cotton, 46,885 acres; in corn, 41,577 acres; 
in oats, 7,953 acres; in wheat, 59 acres; in rye, 364 acres; in 
rice, 49 acres; in sugar-cane, 373 acres; in sweet potatoes, 872 
acres; in tobacco, 9 acres. 

Cotton Production — 16,259 bales. 

The face of the country is, for the most part, level ; but some 
difference exists between the sections north and south, as these 
are divided, the one from the other, by the Choctawhatchee River. 
The portion of Dale lying north of this stream is rolling, while 
that lying south is more level, and, in some portions, quite so. 
In the northern portion the soils are mostly of a light, loamy 
nature; in the southern, where the pine forests predominate, the 
soils are thin and sandy, with a substratum of clay. The soils of 
the entire county embrace those of red, clayey loam, gray bottom 
soil, and sandy soils. The most desirable lands for tillage pur- 
poses are the red loams, which embrace about one-tenth of those 
now in cultivation. Valuable tracts of this land prevail in differ- 
ent sections of the county. The creek and river bottoms are also 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 239 



productive, especially those adjacent to the Choctawhatchee 
River. 

The lands of the county produce cotton, corn, oats, peas, rice, 
rye, sugar-cane, peanuts and sorghum. Some of these are exten- 
sively grown, and others, most notably sugar-cane, are attracting 
greater attention year after year. Vegetables and grasses are 
grown also in vast abundance. The lands are generous in their 
yield of most of the necessaries, and many of the luxuries of life. 

Peaches, pears, grapes ai^d figs thrive, and, with attention, do 
remarkably well. Through the broad forests of Dale there grow 
luxuriant grasses and plants for herds, and are of great public 
value for browsing purposes. 

Beef marketing and wool growing are gradually assuming the 
proportions of thrifty industries. Large quantities of honey, of 
a superior quality, is annually gathered; but in the absence of 
transportation is either disposed of in the local markets or con- 
sumed at home. North of the Choctawhatchee River the trees 
of the forset embrace the oak, hickory, poplar, beech, sweet gum, 
and chestnut; south of the river are the extensive regions of 
yellow pine. Much of the last-named growth is hewn and rafted 
to market, while more still is sawn into lumber. Much turpen- 
tine is also gathered. 

Ozark, the county-seat, with a population of several hundred, 
Clopton, Newton, Daleville, and Echo are the principal towns. 
There are good schools and churches at all these points. The 
county is drained by the Choctawhatchee and its numerous tribu- 
taries. It is abundantly supplied with water throughout. Upon 
many of these streams there are thrifty lumber-mills. At New- 
ton there is a cotton and woolen factory, which was established 
many years ago, and has served many important ends in that por- 
tion of the State. The county is penetrated by the Alabama 
Midland Railroad which has given new life to that portion of the 
State. Numerous industries are springing up at the different 
centers of population. There is a fertilizer factory at Ozark . 

The prices of land extend from $1 to $10 per acre. The 
county has an industrious agricultural population that would 
readily greet settlers and investors seeking homes and locations 



240 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



for business. No doubt these lands will attract great attention 
within a few years, because of the vast abundance of yellow pine 
timber which they contain. Kare bargains can now be had by 
those seeking profitable iuvestments in lands and real estate. 
Much of the land is public and may be entered under the 
homestead act. Of this there are 8,680 acres. 



HENRY COUNTY. 




lENRY county was created the same year that Alabama be- 
came a State — 1819. It derived its name from that of the 
great Virginia orator — Patrick Henry. It lies in the ex- 
treme southeastern corner of the State, having Georgia, from 
which it is separated by the Chattahoochee River, on the east, 
and Florida on the south. 

It is one of the most desirable sections of this latitude, being 
wonderfully healthy and in such position as that its climate is 
softened in winter and refreshed in summer by the sea breezes 
from the Gulf of Mexico. Many persons have left the counties 
above and removed to Henry because of its delightful climate. 
Free from the heavy moisture of the atmosphere, which is 
frequently true of regions adjacent to the coast, and having a 
dry, healthful climate, it is peculiarly suited to the invalid of 
more northern sections. Perhaps no portion of the Union affords 
a drier and healthier climate for consumptives than that found 
in this highly- favored region. Usually the elevation here is too 
great for the fogs to ascend and pure springs, sandy soil, and 
bracing winter atmosphere furnish all the avenues to health that 
could be desired. Here also are to be found the most favorable 
haunts for hunting and field sports, the forests being alive with 
partridges, wild turkeys, deer, and other game. 

Henry county has an area of 1,000 square miles. 

Population in 1880, 18,761; population in 1890, 24,847. 
White, 16,038; colored, 8,809. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 241 



Area planted in cotton, 69,880 acres; in corn, 55,324 acres; 
in oats, 6,820 acres; in rye, 73 acres; in wheat, 193 acres; in 
tobacco, 3 acres; in rice, 25 acres; in sugar-cane, 671 acres; in 
sweet potatoes, 1,266 acres. 

Cotton Production — 23,738 bales. 

The upper part of Henry county is broken and rolling; the 
lower or southern portion is level. In the northern end of the 
county, the soil is of a light, sandy loam, and is very productive. 
In the southern portion the sandy soils prevail, and compara- 
tively level pine woods constitute the landscape very generally. 
Along the Choctawhatchee River there is a dark mulatto soil 
which is quite valuable for farming purposes. There is also 
a variety of yellow loam upland soils which are much esteemed 
by the planter. In the southwestern corner of the county, in the 
drainage basin of Big Creek, there is a considerable body of red 
lime lands of great productive powers. 

The field productions are cotton, corn, oats, rye, rice, potatoes, 
sugar-cane, field peas and peanuts. The soils respond most lib- 
erally to a generous use of fertilizers upon the higher and thin- 
ner lands. Very early crops are generally produced, because of 
the warmth of the soil. 

Such fruits as peaches, figs, pears, raspberries and strawberries 
are quite thrifty. No section excels this in the production of 
grapes. More attention is now being given these home luxuries 
than ever before. 

There is a perceptible improvement in the stock of the county, 
and this is giving rise to the more careful production of domestic 
grasses. Over the commons and old fields, and through the for- 
ests of Henry there grow luxuriantly the finest grasses for grazing 
purposes. This fact, taken in connection with the water supplies 
which flow through the county in every direction, indicates its 
desirableness for the pursuit of stock-raising. Wool-growing has 
received considerable attention. 

The lumber and timber interests have been, and are still, very 
great in the county. Such industries as saw mills abound in dif- 
ferent portions of the county, and especially in or about the 
places of interest. Besides pine in great abundance, there are 
found in the forests of Henry such growths as hickory, oak, ash, 



242 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



walnut, sweet gum, bay, beech, etc. These are usually found in 
the uncleared bottoms, in the swamps, or along the banks of 
streams. 

The county is watered by the Chattahoochee (which separates 
it from Georgia) and Choctawhatchee Rivers, and the Yataabba, 
Emersee, Omanuesee, Eeedy, Big, Bryan's and Hutchison Creeks. 
The water supply is unlimited, the streams being of a beautiful 
clearness and well stocked with superb fish. 

Within the last few years there has been remarkable develop- 
ment in the county of Henry awakened by the construction of the 
Alabama Midland Railroad, and the extension of the Georgia 
Central to the opposite side of the river at Columbia. 

Other roads are in contemplation. 

The chief towns of Henry are Abbeville, the county- seat, with 
a population of 800, Dothan, with a population of 1,500, Colum- 
bia, Gordon, Headland, and Lawrenceville. Good schools exist 
at all these centers of interest. An agricultural school of some 
note exists at Abbeville. It is a branch of the Agricultual and 
Mechanical College at Auburn. An educational system prevails 
throughout the county and is equally accessible to all classes. 

Churches mainly of the Baptist and Methodist denominations 
prevail throughout the county. 

Lands vary in valuation from $1 to $10 per acre. Of these 
there are a great many in Henry county, being 6,620 acres. 

Eager to assist and to be assisted in promoting the pros- 
perity of the county, the people of Henry are favorable to the 
settlement of an industrious and thrifty folk in their midst. We 
have noted the delightful and healthful climate, the varied land, 
and divers resources of the county, and from these can readily be 
inferred the possibility of such a section. Regarding these, let 
the seekers of homes and capitalists alike determine whether a 
safer or more profitable investment can be made than in Henry 
county. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 243 



CONCLUSION. 

^^^O one who has followed the Author of this little treatise 
^a||| from section to section of this great and growing Common- 
^^^ wealth can be otherwise impressed than that Alabama is 
remarkable both in the extent and diversity of her resources of 
wealth. Her fertile fields, deep and numerous water-ways, charm- 
ing climate, vast forests of timber, and varied and abounding 
mineral wealth place her, in some respects, in advance of any 
other State of the American Union. To place all these elements 
of wealth in proper order is the design of this little book. 

It is hoped that the systematic arrangement and the sharply 
drawn lines between the several divisions of the State, and the 
minute description of each county, together with the compre- 
hensive chapters upon the river-ways, the healthfulness, and the 
educational system of the State, warrant the claim set forth in 
the title of the work as the Immigrant's and Capitalist's Guide- 
book TO Alabama. 



HEALTHFULNESS OF ALABAMA. 



TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATE, and MORTALITY STATISTICS, 

BY R. D. WEBB, M. D., BIRMINGHAM, ALA. 

In an inquiry into the healthfulness of a given region, there 
are three factors which require examination. 

I. — Topography : 

a Surface Features. 

6 Character of Soils. 

c Watersheds and Drainage. 

d Flora (amount of vegetable matter.) 

II. — Climate: 

a Temperature. 

6 Rainfall. 

c Atmospheric Moisture. 

III. — Mortality Statistics. 

O study properly the topography of a region which is 
.^-— I largely influenced by the character of its geological for- 

^W mations, we must look at the geology of the region 
under examination ; not so much in the detail of its separate rocks 
and strata as in the manner in which these geological character- 
istics were impressed upon it. 

In order to do this intelligibly in regard to Alabama, it will be 
necessary to give, briefly, an account of the geological eras 
through which it has passed in taking its present features. 

Long years ago, Alabama, with the adjoining parts of Tennes- 
see, Mississippi, and Louisiana, was a gulf, or arm of the sea. 




246 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



At that time what is now the Gulf of Mexico, had its litteral line 
as far north as Cairo, Illinois, and the mouth of the Mississippi 
River was probably at that point. This is evident to the most 
casual observations of the uninitiated in geological science, as the 
marine shells and fossil casts, everywhere found over this region, 
testify. 

It is generally admitted that our planet was at one time a 
molten mass, "without form and void," which, in lapse of time, 
has gradually cooled, forming a crust or shell, enclosing the still 
semi-molten internal mass. As this cooling proceeded, the globe 
became smaller, and in places the crust fell in and took a 
lower level. Into these lower places the waters were collected, 
forming oceans, seas, and lakes. This is well described in 
Genesis i, 9: "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered 
together into one place, and let the dry land appear." 

This was the era in which, as stated above, Alabama was 
covered by an arm of the sea. The latter part of this era is 
known to geologists as the carboniferous period, when the earth 
was covered with dense forests, which grew luxuriantly in the 
moist, carboniferous air, and the marshy lands were filled with 
cold-blooded reptiles of huge size, which could breathe this car- 
boniferous air. In this condition the earth remained for untold 
years, during which time the stratified rocks were deposited at the 
bottom of the seas, and vast accumulations of vegetable debris 
(coal measures) were collected in the lakes and lagoons which 
abounded at that time. 

At the close of this carboniferous period, what is known as 
the Appalachian revolution occurred; by which the great Ap- 
palachian chain of mountains (Alleghany, Blue Ridge, and 
Cumberland ranges) was elevated above the surface of the 
water. The extension of this chain into Alabama is seen in 
Lookout, Red and Sand Mountains. It enters the State at its 
northeast corner, and runs in a southwest direction to Talla- 
dega, Centreville, and Jonesboro. 

By this geological revolution the face of the country entirely 
changed, and the shore line of this arm of the sea rolled 
southward to the northern border of the cretaceous formation, 
on a line passing east and west through the State from near 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 247 



Columbus (Lat. 32° 25') on the Georgia line, by Wetumpka and 
Centreville to Tuscaloosa, and thence veering northwest through 
Pickens and Lamar counties, and leaving the State on the west 
near the thirty-fourth parallel of latitude. By this movement 
all that portion of the State north of this line was elevated to 
an average of 500 to 800 feet, and in some places as high as 
2,500 feet above the sea level. 

The central axis of the upheaval was in a southwestern 
direction, entering the State near its northeast corner and ex- 
tending to Jonesboro. By the folding or crimping together of 
the different strata of the silurian, devonian, and carboniferous 
rocks, those clinal and anticlinal axes were formed, which mark 
the course of the valleys and ridges of this section. The ridges 
are Lookout, Red, Eaccoon, and Sand Mountains ; and the valleys 
are Brown's, on the west (a continuation of Sequatchie Valley in 
Tennessee), and Coosa Valley, on the east, with the intervening 
valleys of Jones', Roup's Will's, and Murphree's. 

This upheaval, by which the Appalachain chain was elevated, 
was probably at first sudden, but was afterward continued more 
gradually, or, at least, periodically, and consumed a long period 
of years before the Tertiary sea finally receded to its present 
shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico, leaving as dry land the southern 
half of the State. 

By this gradual uuheaval, the cretaceous formation (rotten 
limestone) was elevated, the strata retaining nearly a horizotal 
position; and by its disintegration, and mixing with vegetable 
matter, was formed that undulating plateau of fertile prairie soil, 
known as the "Black Bet." This is from fifty to sixty miles wide, 
its northern line entering the State in the northwestern part of 
Pickens county (Lat. 34'') and extending in a semi-circular 
direction around the border of the Appalachian elevation, entirely 
across the State to the Georgia line, near Columbus (Lat. 32*^ 
25'). 

This elevating process continued, and the Tertiary sea rolled 
southward until the entire southern part of the State (Tertiary) 
was raised above the sea level, and the shoreline receded to its 
present position of the Gulf coast. This seems to have been 
without any decided axial lines of elevation, the Chunnenuggee 



248 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



ridge, which extends across the State from east to west, nearly on 
the parallel 32° 15', being the only exception, and giving the 
only hills of any importance south of the southern line of the 
Appalachian elevation. 

The receding waters which followed this upheaval, and the 
glacial avalanche which swept down from the north, covering all 
the western and middle part of the State with "drift" of pebbles, 
sand, and clay, collecting in the lower levels or valleys, marked 
out the channels of the rivers and creeks and left the surface, by 
their evading action in its present undulating condition. 

By these receding waters was also formed the Quartenrary belt 
of alluvial formation on the Gulf coast. This is so small, only a 
narrow strip on the Gulf coast and Mobile bay, that it exerts no 
material influence upon the sanitary condition of the State, and 
hence will receive no further special notice. 

. The physical problem here presented is a little complex at first 
view, but by a little attention to the principles of geology it will 
be plain enough; and it is the only method by which we can get 
a comprehensive and correct view of the physical features of 
the State. 

Corresponding with these geological changes the State is 
naturally divided into five sections, viz: 

1. Level pine lands (Tertiary), in southern part. 

2. Black prairie lands (secondary cretaceous), just north of 
the pine lands. 

3. Red clay lands (metamorphic), in eastern part. 

4. Central mountainous (primary and carboniferous). 

5. Tennessee basin (sub- carboniferous). 

Let us now, more in detail, refer to the most striking features 
of each of these sections. Commencing on the south we have : 

1. The Level Pine Lands, which extend across the State from 
east to west, and north from the Gulf on the western border 130 
miles, and about forty miles in the eastern part, where Florida 
projects above the line of the Gulf coast. 

This entire region is level, or gently undulating, having the 
character of hilly only where it is encroached upon by the 
Chunnenu ggee ridge referred to above. It is traversed by the 
Bigbee and Alabama Rivers, forming by their junction fifty miles 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 249 



above Mobile, the Mobile River, and by numerous perennial creeks 
flowing into these rivers on the Gulf, some of which are of con- 
siderable size. The water of these smaller streams is clear and 
almost pure freestone. 

It is conveniently divided into two sub-sections of about equal 
areas — the "Level Long-leaf" and "Hilly Long-leaf Pine" sections. 
The first is the southern part, and, with the exception of the im- 
mediate valleys of the rivers and larger creeks, is covered with 
long-leaf pine forests, interspersed with a few scrubby oaks. 
The surface is level or gently undulating. The latter is more 
hilly, especially toward its northern border, where it is en- 
croached upon by the Chunnenuggee ridge. This also has a 
principal growth of long-leaf pine, but liberally interspersed 
with oak, hickory, gum, maple, ash and a few short-leaf pines. 
In the southern part the river bottoms and larger creeks have a 
growth of cypress, white oak, gum and maple, frequently covered 
with long, gray moss, while in the more northern parts on some 
of the creeks are beautiful groves of magnolia grandiflora. 
Some of these, as on the Alamuchie Creek in South Sumter, grow 
to the height of 120 feet, with a diameter of three feet, and with 
their shiny, evergreen leaves and magnificent white blooms, form 
a striking feature in the forest scenery. 

Lying immediately north of this sandy-pine region we have a 
narrow strip, three to four miles wide, of barren, "flat woods," or 
"post oak," extending around the southern border of the prairie 
lands. It has a stiff, compact, grayish soil, the result of the dis- 
integration of the post-oak clay, which, before exposure to the 
air, is of a creamy white color. It is covered throughout with a 
growth of post-oak, sparsely intermingled with red oak and 
hickory. It is badly watered, difficult to cultivate, and, except 
where mixed with the lime of the prairie soil, has very little fer- 
tility. Hence, it is thinly inhabited and will not require further 
notice as bearing upon the health of the State. 

2. The Prairie Region (cretaceous, rotten lime) or "Black 
Belt," immediately north of this Post-oak Belt, extends across 
the State from east to west. It is about seventy miles broad on 
the western border of the State, and gradually diminishes to 
forty-five miles in the eastern part. The soil is the result of the 



250 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



1 



disintegration of the rotten limestone, which everywhere under- 
lies the surface. It is a calcareous loam, with but little sand, and 
its virgin state had an abundance of vegetable mould, which 
renders it very fertile. This section, as might be inferred from 
the name, "Prairie," is not an open, treeless region. 

Occasionally we meet with open, or "bald prairies," a few of 
them covering hundreds of acres; but the soil generally is densely 
covered with red and white oak, hickory, elm, walnut, cherry, 
gum, poplar, maple, and cedar, with an undergrowth of plum, 
haw, and dogwDod. 

This section may be described as an elevated, undulating pla- 
teau, its average elevation above the sea-level being about 150 
feet, but occasionally rising to 300 feet. In a few places it has, 
in small areas, deposited on the surface the sand and clay of the 
"drift" period, which give small areas of sandy-loam soils. It is 
traversed by the Bigbee, Warrior, Alabama, and Cahaba Eivers 
in their course to the Gulf, and by many creeks, which, for the 
most part, are dry in the fall. The only exception to this is 
when these creeks have their source in the sandy hills of the drift 
deposit. 

3. The Red-clay Lands in the eastern part of the State. — The 
metamorphic rocks protrude from Georgia into Alabama on its 
eastern border, forming a triangular section, extending from near 
Columbus, Georgia, (Lat. 32*^ 25"), with the State line nearly to 
parallel 34°, and thence southwest, following the direction of the 
Selma, Rome &, Dalton Railroad, to about ten miles beyond the 
Coosa River, and thence, southeast, with the Coosa to AVetump- 
ka, thence, southeast, to the Georgia line. This section embraces 
Cleburne, Randolph, Clay, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Chambers, Elmore, 
and Lee counties. It may be described as a roughly undulating 
region, in some parts, as on the northwest; and on the southwest, 
as it approaches the Chunnenuggee ridge, as hilly, often rising 
from four to five hundred feet above sea-level. It is a well- 
drained region, with an argillaceous soil of red clay, but with 
sufiicient sand to render the subsoil drainage good. 

4. Central Mountainous Reg^ion. — This section of the State is 
more extended and has a more diversified surface, and hence, less 
easily described. It includes all that section of the State north 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 251 



of the prairie belt on the western part, and the red clay lands on 
the eastern part, to the Tennessee basin. Thus it embraces the 
mountain ranges and their intervening valleys, entering the State 
at its northeastern corner and running southwest to Jonesboro, 
Centreville, and Talladega, with the Coosa valley and its outlying 
ridges, on the east of this mountain axis, and the Warrior coal- 
fields on its west, nearly to the Mississippi line; and also a section 
of short- leaf pine upland, to the south and west of these, em- 
bracing the counties of Tuscaloosa, Pickens, Marion, Lamar and 
Fayette. This region, except the southern part, Tuscaloosa and 
Pickens counties, is elevated on an average 600 to 800 feet above 
the sea-level, and is throughout roughly hilly, with intervening 
valleys; and, occasionally, as on Lookout and Blue Mountains, 
rising 2,000 to 2,500 feet above sea-level. The soil of the short- 
leaf pine section is sandy and the surface hilly, and covered in 
many parts with sandy and gravelly drift. The drainage, both 
surface and subsoil is good. 

The other portions of this region have good surface drainage, 
but in its many valleys the stiff, compact, calcareous-loamy soil 
does not admit of good subsoil drainage. The valleys themselves 
although six to eight hundred feet above sea-level, are relatively 
low, since they are surrounded on all sides by elevated hills, and 
here we have, to a great extent, the same sanitary environments 
that we have in low places. To this fact, perhaps, are due the 
greater amount of consumption in this elevated mountain region, 
as we shall hereafter see, than in other parts of the State. And 
hence, too, as most of the inhabitants live in these valleys, the 
fact that here also is to be found a greater amount of typhoid fever, 
and continued malarial or mountain fever than in other parts of 
the State. 

5. The remaining portion of the State is the Tennessee Valley, 
or Tennessee basin. This is about fifty miles wide and a hun- 
dred miles long, bounded on the north by Tennessee, on the east 
by the elevated escarpments of Brown's Valley; on the south by 
the ridge running west from Sand Mountain through the counties 
of Morgan, Lawrence and Franklin; and west by Mississippi. 

The Tennessee Kiver entering this basin at its southeast cor- 
ner, near Guntersville, runs diagonally through it in a north- 



252 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



westerly direction, dividing it into northern and southern parts. 
These two parts are quite similar, each consisting of the high- 
lands, the parts remote from the river, and the lowlands or 
Tennessee Valley proper. From these highlands or barrens 
numerous creeks arise, and run, those on the north side of the 
river, south, and those on the south side, north, into the Tennessee 
River. 

The soil on these highlands is silicious, and, with numerous 
creeks, affords good surface and subsoil drainage. The valley 
proper, however, which is more level, with a loamy soil, is not so 
well drained; and here, too, as in the valleys of the central 
mountain region, though elevated 600 to 800 feet above sea-level, 
we have the surroundings of lowlands, and, consequently, malarial 
fevers. 

Also, in this valley, as we shall see when we examine the mor- 
tality statistics, consumption prevails to a much greater extent 
than in the middle and southern parts of the State; and to 
this fact, coupled with the prevalence of malarial fever in the 
Tennessee Valley, is due the higer rate of mortality in this 
section, as compared with other sections of the State. This will 
be more fully brought out when I speak of mortality statistics. 

WATERSHEDS. 

Alabama, when viewed as a whole, forms an ascending plain, 
commencing at the sea level on the Gulf coast and rising in its 
northern and northeastern sections to an elevation of twelve to 
fifteen hundred feet. The Appalachian upheaval, while having a 
general southwest axis, in this State, had also a secondary west- 
ward axis, commencing on the west side of Sand Mountain, near 
Guntersville, in Marshall county, running west along the northern 
borders of Morgan and Lawrence, veering southwest into Franklin 
county. 

In Marshall county this ridge, or divide, which separates the 
State into its two watersheds — northern and southern — is about 
675 feet above the level of the surrounding country, and gradually 
diminishes in height to 2T5 feet in Franklin, and thence westward 
forms the undulating hills of northwest Mississippi, in which the 
headwaters of the Bigbee find their source. That portion of the 



ALABAMA AS IT 18. 253 



State, about fifty miles wide, north of this divide, drained by the 
Tennessee Eiver and its tributaries, is known as the Tennessee 
Basin, or Northern Watershed. 

The Tennessee Eiver coming down the Sequatchie Valley from 
Tennessee, enters Alabama near its northeast corner and runs in 
a southwest direction along Brown's Valley (a continuation of the 
Sequatchie Valley) about fifty miles to Guntersville, where, meet- 
ing with the secondary westward upheaval above mentioned, it 
breaks through the westward escarpment of the valley, and thence 
runs in a northwesterly course diagonally through the Tennessee 
Basin, leaving the State a little south of its northwest corner. 
This basin is about fifty miles wide, and has numerous creeks both 
on the north and south of the river ; those on the north running 
south, and those on the south running north into the Tennessee 
Eiver. Those on the south side of the river rise in the divide 
(westward elevations,) while those on the north rise in the hills 
near the Tennessee line. 

All south of this divide is a truly-inclined plane, its water flow- 
ing into the Gulf. This is the great Southern Watershed of the 
State. It has, however, several subdivisions, marked by the rivers 
which pass through it to the Gulf, each one forming the axis of 
its own subordinate watershed. 

Commencing on the west we have the Bigbee Eiver, entering 
the State near the southern border of Pickens county, uniting 
with the Warrior at Demopolis and thence running nearly south 
to its junction with the Alabama Eiver. These two rivers, with 
their tributaries, drain all that part of the State south of the divide 
in Morgan, Lawrence and Franklin counties, to Sand Mountain on 
the east and in a southwesterly course with this mountain to the 
divide between the Warrior and the Alabama Eivers. This, which 
we may call the western or Bigbee shed, drains about one-fourth 
of the State. 

The Alabama Eiver, with its tributaries — The Cahaba, Coosa 
and Tallapoosa — drains all that portion of the State east of Sand 
Mountain and the AVarrior and Alabama divide, except a few 
counties in the southeastern part. This is the central or Alabama 
Eiver watershed. It drains all the central and northeastern part 
of the State. The remaining portion of the State, divided from 



254 ALLBAMA AS IT IS. 



this central shed by the ChuDnennggee ridge, is drained direct 
into the Gulf, through the Escambia, Conecuh, Yellow Water and 
Choctawhatchie Bivers. This is the southeastern shed, and drains 
the counties of Conecuh, Escambia, Butler, Crenshaw, Covington, 
Coffee, Pike, Barbour, Dale, Geneva and Henry. 

Thus it is seen we have two main sheds — Northern (Tennessee 
Basin) and Southern; The latter divided into western, central and 
southeastern. 

DRAINAGE. 

The drainage of a given section depends upon the character of 
the surface elevations and undulations, and of the soils. It is 
characterized as surface and subsoil drainage. The latter has 
much to do with the healthfulness of a region, as "ground- water" 
is now known to exert an important influence in causing disease, 
especially consumption, as shown by the late distinguished sani- 
tarian. Dr. Bowditch, of Boston. 

The surface drainage of all the northern and central parts of 
the State is as complete as could be desired. It is traversed by 
many perennial creeks, which, from the hilly character of the sur- 
face, have a rapid flow, and thus ponds, marshes, or lagoons do not 
form aloug their course. The subsoil drainage, however, is not 
so good in many places, especially in the valleys where the in- 
habitants of this region principally reside. Subsoil drainage is 
largely dependent upon the character of the soils, and hence a few 
words in regard to the nature of the soils are necessary. Soils 
depend to a great degree upon the character of the rocks from 
which they are formed. This northern portion of the State has 
quite a variety of geological formations on rocks, and the soils 
vary accordingly. 

Soils are generally divided into sandy, clayey, calcareous and 
alluvial. A combination of these gives the sandy loam (a mixture 
of sand and clay) and the calcareous loam (mixture of the calcare- 
ous and clay). The larger the proportion of sand in any of these 
the more porous it is, and hence better suited to subsoil drainage; 
while, if mostly of clay, or a mixture of clay and the calcareous, 
we have a compact, close soil, through which water percolates at 
great disadvantage. The post-oak soil, which is almost wholly of 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 5^55 



ciay, is a good type of the clay soil. The soils of the western 
portion of the central region, derived from the saudrock of Sand 
Mountain, or the orange sand of the drift period, are good speci- 
mens of a porous, sandy soil. In a portion of this central section 
(on its southwestern border in Lamar, Pickens, and Tuscaloosa 
counties) the sand is mixed with pebbles in the clay, underlaid 
by coarse gravel, which adds very much to its capacity for subsoil 
drainage. The beautiful city of Tuscaloosa is located on one of 
these pebbly drift deposits, and no place in this State, or in any 
part of the United States, has a more perfect subsoil drainage. 
To this fact is attributed in great part the well-deserved reputa- 
tion this city has for healthfuluess. 

The soil of that portion of the State on its eastern border, which 
I have called the red clay lands, derived from a granite formation, 
is a good specimen of a mixed sand and clay soil (sandy loam). 
To this admixture of sand this section owes its good subsoil drain- 
age, and no doubt much of its healthfulness, which we shall see 
when we come to speak of the mortuary statistics ranks first, 
as compared with the other sections of the State. 

The soils of many of the valleys of the northern part of the 
State are calcareous, or calcareous loam. This character of soil 
is compact and little pervious to water, and hence the subsoil 
drainage of these valley sections is not good, and to this fact is 
no doubt due the prevalence of consumption in the northern and 
northeastern parts of the State. 

The surface drainage of the Prairie Belt is not so good as in 
the northern part of the State. The country is more level, the 
creeks have less fall, and in the river and creek bottoms are found 
occasionally ponds or lagoons. The soil, too, is a calcareous loam 
(derived from the rotten limestone) and the subsoil drainage not 
complete. This, however, is relieved from its deleterious effects 
to some extent by the fact that this section of the country has in 
the summer and fall but little "ground-water." Throughout this 
section, in the late summer and fall, there is but little water above 
the underlying limerock, so that cisterns dug in the rock to hold 
from 500 to 1,000 barrels of water are used instead of wells to 
supply water for family purposes. 



256 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



The drainage of the remaining portion of the State, the loDg-leaf 
pine lands, is good. Although the surface is level, ponds and 
marshes are rarely seen, and the decidedly sandy soils give to this 
section most excellent subsoil drainage. Here, as would be expected, 
we have but few malarial fevers, these being confined to the im- 
mediate river and creek bottoms where the soil is alluvial, and this 
section, with it balmy air and mild temperature, is remarkably free, 
as we shall see, from consumption. 

FLORA. 

From a sanitary point of view, we have more to do with the 
amount than the specific character of the flora. While describing 
the physical features of the different sections, meagre reference was 
made to some of the species of trees and growth found in each. 
My object here will be to speak only of the amount of vegetable 
matter (leaves, twigs, and decaying timber) that is annually thrown 
upon the surface to decay, and the amount of vegetable mould laid 
up in the soils from this source. The decay of vegetable matter, 
under the influence of heat and moisture, is known to be a constant 
accompaniment of malarial fevers, and hence the pertinence of this 
inquiry. 

Alabama is comparatively a new State, and the time necessary for 
good sanitary regulations has not been afforded, or if time has been 
sufficient, the unorganized forces have not availed for the institution 
of proper means. Much of its surface is yet uncultivated, and 
covered with primal forests. Almost the entire sandy pine region 
in the southern part of the State is covered with dense long- leaf 
pine forests. The alluvial bottoms of this section are still more 
densely covered with various kinds of trees, shrubs, and vines. 
These annually throw down a large amount of vegetable debris to 
decay upon the surface, and collect as vegetable mould in the allu- 
vial soils of the creek bottoms ; causing malarial fevers. But these 
bottoms form a very small proportion of the section, and hence 
exert no very material influence upon its sanitary character. 

The Black Belt or prairie lands, just north of this section, and the 
red clay lands in the eastern part, were also at one time, densely 
covered with forest growth. For ages the vegetable debris from 
these forests had been accumulating and mixing with the cal- 
careous, loamy and clay soils, which gave them their great fertility, 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 257 



and I may add, at the same time that it laid np fertility in the soils, 
it also accumulated abundantly the elements of malarial fevers. 
This has, however, under the process of cultivation, much altered 
for the better. This region is one of the most important, both as 
to the number of its inhabitants, and as to its sanitary history in the 
State. When the tide of emigration moved west from North Caro- 
lina, South Carolina, and Georgia (1820 to 1835), many bold and en- 
ergetic men found homes in Alabama on these red clay lands, fertile 
prairie plains, and along the alluvial valleys of rivers and creeks. The 
forests, which were everywhere dense, fell, as if by magic, before this 
agricultural army, and vast amounts of decaying timber were left to 
rot in the summer sun. In a few years almost the entire country 
was brought under cultivation. The surface was thus deprived 
of its protecting shade, and the soil loaded with vegetable matter 
upturned by the plow was exposed to the influence of air and 
the sun. The little creeks and branches too, which were often made 
the receptacle for the brush and undergrowth out from their borders, 
were clogged, and the channels thus obstructed, soon filled with 
mud and debris from the hillsides of the neighboring fields. As 
the summer waned, and the autumn approached, these foul streams 
ceased to flow, and pools of stagnant water marked the course of 
their channels. Nothing more need be added. Here were the 
hotbeds of disease and death, and many a stalwart frame fell a victim 
to their influence. The country from August to November was one 
wide field of malarial iever. The old and the voung alike were its 
victims. With a reckless disregard for sanitary precautions, these 
bold pioneers rushed on through the carnal house of death, seek- 
ing wealth in the growth of the fleecy fiber ; and, as was natural 
the cry went thoughout the land, "it is the house of death," and 
Alabama became the synonym of unhealthfulness. Ague, chills, 
remittent and congestive fevers became, justly, the scarecrow in 
regard to Alabama, and to this day, there are many who believe 
that the same reign of death and disease continues in this region. 
But this is not true. There was but one cause for this state of 
health, viz : A vast accumulation of vegetable matter in the soil, 
and another greater amount added to this in the decaying timber 
which fell before the agriculturist's axe. But this is entirely 
changed. From necessity, the creeks have ceased to be the recep- 
tacle of timber, their channels have been cleaned out, the low 
1] 



258 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



places ditched, the decaying timber has disappeared, and the soil 
has been by cultivation, deprived of its vegetable mould; in a 
word, the entire sanitary surroundings have been changed; and 
to-day, while intermittent and remitten fevers still linger in places, 
as reminders of the past, they are no longer dreaded and feared 
by the people of this region. With the exception of a few places, 
unfavorably located for drainage, it is ar, healthful as most agri- 
cultural regions on the same parallels of latitude. 

And here, as malarial fever has been held up, and is still point- 
ed to as a drawback to this section, I may be permitted to point 
out some facts in connection with its prevalence elsewhere in the 
United States. The idea prevails very generally that this is a 
disease of the South. Let us see if this is true. The following 
figures, taken from the census of 1880, will show this idea up in 
a difPerent light. 

From a map by Dr. J. S. Billings, of Washington, D. C, com- 
piled from census of 1880, showing the distribution and preva- 
lence of malarial fever, I have taken the following data. The 
figures represent the number of deaths from malarial fevers, as 
compared with total deaths from all causes: 

North Carolina — Eastern part, 70 and over to 1,000; western 
part, 30 to 50; Virginia, eastern part, 10 to 30; Maryland, 10 to 
30; New Jersey, 10 to 30; Connecticut, 10 to 30; Massachusetts, 
10 to 30; Missouri and Kansas, 50 to 70; Illinois (southern 
part), 10 to 30; Iowa, 10 to 30: Oregon, 10 to 30; Washington 
Territory, 10 to 30; Montana and Dakota, 50 to 70. 

This shows that malarial fever prevails to a considerable extent 
in every part of the United States, and is by no means peculiar 
to southern latitudes. We find it in the East, in Connecticut and 
Massachusetts, in the West in Illinois and Iowa, and in the 
extreme Northwest, on the Pacific slope, in Washington Territory 
and Oregon, and in Montana and Dakota, among the peaks and 
valleys of the Rocky Mountains. 

It is not denied that it prevails to a greater extent in the South 
than in the East, AVest and Northwest, yet we still find, when it 
comes to an examination of mortality statistics, that other diseases, 
such as cancer, diphtheria, pneumonia and consumption in these 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 259 



other States, more than make up for the greater amount of mala- 
rial fever in the South. 

The central mountainous region and the Tennessee Basin, ex- 
cept the immediate valley of the Tennessee Eiver, were also 
densely covered with forests. The laud adjacent to the Tennessee, 
in its flora and agricultural characteristics, resembles very nearly 
the red clay lands and the Prairie Belt, and the remarks made 
upon those sections will apply to this. A large part of this re- 
gion, especially among the mountain ranges, is not well suited to 
agricultural purposes, and much of it still retains its primal 
forests. From these forests a large amount of vegetable matter 
is collected in the valleys, and here we find the mountain malarial, 
or continued malarial fever, which in many of its features re- 
sembles typhoid fever. 

CLIMATIC INFLUENCES. 

"The most potent influences which determine climate are lati- 
tude, elevation above tide, configuration of mountain ranges, 
proximity of the sea, and direction of prevailing winds," (Dr. 
Smith's Agricultural Report.) 

All of these are brought into requisition in determining the 
climate of Alabama. 

It is evident that Alabama must have a varied climate, since it 
extends over four and half degrees of latitude, from the Gulf 
coast (lat. 30 deg. 35 min. ) to 35 deg. at the Tennessee line. It 
has also a varied altitude, from the level of the sea on the Gulf 
coast, to 2,500 feet, on its northeastern border. These mountains 
in the northeastern part extending southwest to the center of the 
State, by their configuration impress the directions of the winds, 
and determine also iu this part of the State the precipitation or 
rainfall, while on the south the warm waters of the Gulf send 
their balmy air as far as the middle of the State; and on the 
southeast the Gulf stream is near enough to lend its influences 
to this variety. Few sections of country have such varied climatic 
influence, and none a greater variety of climate. 



260 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



TEMPERATUEE. 

The temperature of Alabama has received careful investiga- 
tion from Dr. E. A. Smith, State Geologist, and much of what 
follows is condensed from his Agricultural Report of 1883. 

"The extremes of temperature," says he, "are comparatively 
rare, and the extremes of heat during the summer months are 
especially moderated by the tempering winds from the Gulf of 
Mexico; while in those parts of the State most remote from the 
Gulf, their elevation above sea-level secures immunity from ex- 
cessive heat." 

Thus, it will be seen, in the almost semi-tropical climate of the 
southern part, we are protected from excessive heat by the balmy 
air of the Gulf, while in the northern part we are protected from 
extremes of heat by the altitude. The mean annual temperature 
of the State is 64.58 deg. F. The mean temperature for the 
seasons is as follows : Spring, 63.9 deg,; summer, 79.5 deg.; 
autumn, 64.5 deg. ; winter, 54.4 deg. From daily observations 
kept by me at Livingston, lat. 82 deg. 35 min. 17 min. for sixteen 
years, from 1855 to 1870, the mean temperature for the sixteen 
years is 63.64 deg. F. This corresponds very nearly with the 
figures (64.58 deg.) given by Dr. Smith for the mean annual 
temperature of the State. 

The aggregate mean maximum for this period of sixteen years 
was 74.66 deg. The aggregate mean minimum, 49.55 deg. This 
gives a mean range of only 25.11 deg. The aggregate mean of 
sixteen winters was 47.40 deg. The meaa of coldest winter 
(1855-6), 40.22 deg. ; the mean of warmest winter (1861-2), 
54.23 deg. These figures corroborate the remark that "extremes 
of temperature are comparatively rare." 

The following table gives the mean temperature of each of the 
sixteen winters (at Livingston,) the lowest point of the thero- 
mometer each winter, the aggregate temperature for the sixteen 
winters, and the first frost of autumn. 



ALABAMA AS IT 18. 



261 



WINTERS. 


MEAN OF WINTERS. 


MINIMUM OP 
THERMOMETER. 


FIRST FROST OF 
AUTUMN. 


1854-5 


42 30 

40.22 
46.18 
49 17 
51 02 
41.74 
43.01 
54.23 
49.79 
45 24 
46.57 

48 45 

49 38 
50.80 
48.90 
50.50 


16» above 
6° " 
10° " 

22° " 
17° " 
12° " 
20° " 
27° " 
22° " 
16° " 
18° " 
12° " 
22° " 
16° " 
17° " 
24° " 


zero. 




1855-6 


October 6. 


1856-7 


September 25. 
October 21. 


1857-8 


1858-9 


! " 15. 


1859-60 


" 11. 


1860-1 


" 13. 


1861-2 


" 24. 


1862-3 


" 26. 


1863-4 


" 8. 


1864-5 


" 10. 


1S65-6 


" 28. 


1866-7 


' " 24. 


1867-8 


" 31. 


1868-9 

1869-70 


November 2. 
October 15. 






AGGREGATE MEAN. 


47 40 


1 



The isothermal curves are deflected northward by the Bigbee 
and Coosa Valleys, and southward by the mountain ranges so that 
these curves pass across the State not parallel with the parallels 
of latitude, going north of the line in the valleys and south of it 
in the mountain regions. In the absence of maps showing these 
curves, I will describe them as well as I can, as laid down on the 
maps, which are compiled from the data of the Smithsonian In- 
stitute by Dr. E. A. Smith. 

The mean isothermal line of winter (52 deg. ) commences on 
the west border of the State near the lower line of Washington 
county (Lat. 31 deg. 15 min. ) and going east, ascends slightly 
as it crosses the valley of the Bigbee and Alabama Rivers (Lat. 
31 deg. 25 min.) and then descends gently until it passes out of 
the State near the southwest corner of Covington county, (Lat. 
31 deg. ) The curve of 48 deg. enters the State on the west at 
the line between Sumter and Choctaw counties (Lat. 32 deg. 20 
min.) and ascends rapidly at an angle of 25 deg. through Sumter, 
Marengo and Perry, to the village of Clanton in Chilton county 
(Lat. 32 deg. 50 min. ) and thence turns rather abruptly south at 
an angle of 40 deg. to Tuskegee, (Lat. 32 deg. 22 min.) and 



262 AlA'iAMA AS IT 18. 



thence a little north of east to the Georgia line at the northeast 
corner of Kussell county, (Lat. 32 deg. 30 min.) 

These two curves are south of the elevated part of the State, 
and, being but little influenced by altitude, or configuration of 
the mountain ranges, run in lines somewhat approximating the 
lines of the parallels of latitude. The isothermal curve of 44 deg. 
F. is more irregular in its course, being deflected sharply north- 
ward by the Coosa Valley and southward by the mountain ranges. 

It enters the State on the west at the line separating Colbert 
and Franklin counties (Lat. 34 deg. 30 min.) and runs in a 
northeasterly direction across Colbert and Lauderdale to the 
Tennessee line (Lat. 35 deg.) and then curving almost directly 
back, runs southwest through the counties of Limestone, Law- 
rence, northwest corner of Winston, and southeast corner of 
Marion to Fayetteville (Lat. 33 deg. 40 min.) in Fayette county, 
where it turns in a southwesterly direction to Tuscaloosa (Lat. 
33 deg. 12 min.) thence a little south of east to the line of Bibb 
county (33 deg. 10 min.) where it again turns northeast through 
Bibb and Shelby into St. Clair (33 deg. 30 min. ) and thence 
southeast to Talladega, thence southeast through Clay and the 
northeast corner of Tallapoosa to the line of Chambers, and 
thence east through the center of this county to the Georgia 
line, Lat. 32 deg. 55 miu. 

This line, as is seen, is very irregular in its course, running 
northeast across the valley of the Tennessee to the Tennessee line, 
thence deflected south by the mouutaius to Fayetteville (Lat. 35°, 
40'), theuce again north by the Coosa Valley Lat. 35", 30', and 
thence south by the highlands east of this valley to the Georgia 
line in Lat. 32*^, 55. 

The irregular manner in which these curves run shows plainly 
the influence of the valleys and mountains upon temperature, and 
emphasizes the features which gave such a great variety to the 
climate of Alabama. These are mean curves of winter. With 
the view of further illustrating this subject, I will give one mean 
isothermal curve of summer. Ihe mean curve of 80o F. of sum- 
mer enters the State on the west in Sumter county nearly oppo- 
site to Livingston (Lat. 32", 35') and runs northeast through 
Sumter, Greene, and Pickens to Tuscaloosa, (Lat. 33*^', 12'), and 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 263 



then almost directly south through Tuscaloosa, Hale, and Marengo 
to Lat. 32", 12', and thence southeast through southern part of 
Dallas, corner of Lowndes, norlheast corner of Butler, and centers 
of Crenshaw, Coffee, and Geneva to the Florida line (31^^). Here 
we see this line is first deflected sharply north by the influence of 
the mountains to Tuscaloosa, and thence by the Alabama Valley 
and the tempering winds of the Gulf, it is carried nearly two 
degrees south to the Florida line in Geneva county. Here we 
have the same modifying influence (proximity of the Gulf) tem- 
pering the cold of winter and ameliorating the heat of summer, so 
as to prevent extremes in either season. The curve of 80° is 
very near the mean temperature of the summer (TO.S**). The 
mean annual temperature of the State is 64.58". Let us then 
trace the mean annual curve of 64", which nearly corresponds with 
this. The mean annual curve of 64", commences on the west line 
of the State in Sumter at Lat. 32.30^, very nearly at the same 
point at which the mean summer curve of 80" commenced. In 
fact, the lines taken from the data of the Smithsonian Institute, 
and the observations made by me at Livingston, show this place 
to be not only in point of latitude near the middle of the State, 
but also the point of the mean annual and mean snmmer temper- 
ature. This curve runs nearly due east eighty miles to Prattville, 
in Autauga county, and thence southwest through Montgomery 
county to a little south of Troy (Lat. 31", 18'), and thence north 
of east to the Georgia line (Lat. 31", 40') in Barbour county. 

Here it will be noted that this annual curve as it nears the 
Georgia line turns a little north of the most southern point at 
Troy. This is due to the influence of the cold winter winds blow- 
ing down the valleys in the eastern part of the State. These winds 
do not prevail during the summer, and hence the summer curve 
(80*^^) continues in its southwestern course until it passes out of 
the State on the Florida line. 

At the risk of being tedious, I have given these details to show 
the influence of the causes mentioned at the head of this section 
upon the temperature of Alabama, and also as a means of point- 
ing out the great variety of its climate. 



264 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



RAINFALL AND ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE. 

The area and amount of rainfall are so concisely stated by Dr. 
Smith, that I will take the liberty of quoting liberally from him : 

"An annual precipitate of fifty- six inches and upward falls 
within a belt narrowest in the middle and widening out at both 
ends, and crossing the State diagonally from the southwestern to 
the northeastern corner." This belt is about fifty-five miles wide 
in the center, on a line passing through Perry and Autauga coun- 
ties, 100 miles over the northeastern part, through Marshall, Eto- 
wah, and Cherokee, and 125 miles at its southwestern part, through 
"Washington, Clarke, Monroe, Conecuh, and Covington, "In the 
lower part of the belt, an area including Mobile and Baldwin, and 
parts of Washington, Clarke, Monroe, Wilcox, Dallas, Lowndes, 
Butler, Conecuh, and Escambia counties, receives an annual rain- 
fall of sixty-two inches and upward, reaching a maximum of sixty- 
four inches at Mount Vernon. Eastward of the maximum belt 
the amount of rainfall decreases, being between forty-four and 
fifty-six inches over the southeastern part of the State, and west- 
ward of the main belt between fifty and fifty-six inches." 

The average rainfall for the entire State is 55.04 inches, and of 
this 13.86 inches fall during the spring months, 14.07 inches dur- 
ing the summer, 14.70 during the autumn, and 16.37 during the 
winter. "During the winter months (December, January and 
February) we find the area of maximum rainfall running along 
the western border of the State within thirty miles of the Missis- 
sippi line, except where a branch is thrown off, including parts of 
Dallas, Wilcox, Lowndes, Montgomery, Butler, Crenshaw, Pike 
and Bullock counties, and another deflection toward the east in 
Tennesse valley, including parts of Lawrence, Limestone and 
Madison counties." In this area, the winter rainfall is from six- 
teen to eighteen inches, and over the rest of the State from twelve 
to sixteen inches, except a strip along the eastern border of the 
State below Chambers, where it falls below twelve inches. 

"During the summer months (June, July and August) the 
greatest amount of rain falls south of a line running from the 
southwestern part of Choctaw county to the upper line of Dallas, 
and thence, southward, to the southeastern part of the State, in 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 265 



Henry county. Within the area thus outlined the rainfall is four- 
teen inches and upward, increasing to eighteen inches and more 
in Mobile, Baldwin, Washington, Clarke, Monroe, Butler, Cone- 
cuh, Escambia, and Covington counties." 

Over the rest of the State the summer rainfall is below fourteen 
inches, except a small area in Limestone, Lauderdale, and Madi- 
son, in the Tennessee valley. 

The belt of maximum mean annual rainfall described above 
extends across the State diagonally from its southwest to its north- 
east corner. We can readily account for the maximum in the 
southwestern portion of this belt as high as to Wilcox and to 
Lowdnes counties. The warm air of the Gulf surcharged with 
moisture meets the cooler currents of the northeast winds (directed 
by the axis of the mountain ranges in the northeastern part of the 
State) and readily gives up its moisture in rain. 

But in the northeastern mountain section, where the maximum 
rain belt still extends, the factors are changed. Here the moist air 
from the Atlantic wafted over the eastern part of the State by the 
southeast winds of spring and autumn is brought into contact with 
the cooler air of this mountain section and precipitation occurs. 

The same train of influences will account for the change of area 
of rainfall in the winter. In winter, as stated above, the area of 
maximum rainfall commences about thirty to forty miles from the 
Gulf coast and extends up the western border of the State in a belt 
about thirty miles wide, with an increase in width just below the 
center of the State, including Dallas, Lowndes, and Crenshaw 
counties. This precipitation, as far north as Marengo and Sumter 
counties, is evidently the result of the warm, moist air of the 
Gulf immediately south of these localities, meeting with the cooler 
currents of the north winds. The deflection eastward into Dallas, 
Lowndes and Crenshaw is the result of the warm air meeting with 
the cooler air of the Chunnenuggee ridge, which exactly marks the 
axis of the eastward deflection. As this rain belt extends up the 
western border of the State, it is indented on its eastern line, 
making the narrowest part of the belt in Pickens county. It then 
continues up the western border of the State to the Tennessee 
Valley, where it is deflected eastward along this valley to the 
mountain in Jackson county. Here the moist air of the Gulf 



266 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



south of Mississippi and Louisiana, passing over these States into 
the western part of Alabaoaa, meets with the cooler north winds 
of the mountain regions, deflected southwest by the mountains, 
and the line of precipitation is carried westward, forming the in- 
dentation in tbe belt in Pickens county. Above this, in Lamar, 
Marion, and the southern part of Fraaklio, the moist current is 
somewhat protected from the cool air by the mountains on the 
northeast, and the rain area regains its original width of thirty 
miles, and continues up to the Tennessee Valley, where it is de- 
flected up this valley to the cold-r air line of the mountains on 
the east of this valley. 

In the summer months the area of moist air is confined to the 
southern part of the State, below the parallel of the thirty-second 
degree of latitude ; while in the spring and fall the air of the cen- 
tral region, and the eastern part of the State, is frequently ren- 
dered moist by the east winds, which, in these seasons, blow from 
the Atlantic. 

Prevailing winds have much to do with the moisture of the air. 
The most constantly prevailing winds of Alabxma are the south 
and the north winds. The south winds prevail most of the time 
from May to November, and the north winds from November 
to May. But while the winds are generally south or north, as in- 
dicated above, they are quite changeable in March and April, and 
they are also subject to periodic changes which correspond with 
the warm spells of winter and cool spells of summer, blowing 
from the south during the former, and from the north during the 
latter. Also, at intervals during the entire year, but especially 
in spring, the wind is from the east, at which times we have those 
long, slow rains known as east rains. These are from the At- 
lantic. 

The moisture of these different winds depend upon their direc- 
tion. The south wind from the Gulf and east wind from the At- 
lantic are moist, while the north and northwest winds are dry. 
There is occasionally a notable exception to this in the south winds. 
This occurs usually when the thermometer is high and the wind 
gentle. Thus the month of July, 1860, which was the warmest 
month in the sixteen years in which I made at this point meteo- 
rological observations, the thermometer on two days reached 102^ 



ALABAMA A8 IT IS. 267 



Fahrenheit. During this month the wind was steadily south, and 
yet the hygrometric condition of the air was the lowest reached 
for the series of sixteen years, and the rainfall only 1.58 inches ; 
nearly all of this on the 30th of the month. 

The areas of dry atmospheres are determined by these prevail- 
ing winds. In the southern part of the State, as far north as 
Chunnenuggee Ridge, we have a moist air, botb winter and sum- 
mer. Above this, in the prairie regioo, and the red clay lands of 
East Alabama we have a dry atmosphere, except during the prev- 
alence of the east winds from the Atlantic. In the central moun- 
tain regions we have a dry air during the wioter and most of the 
summer. In the spring and fall it is more moist from the greater 
prevalence of the moist east winds during these seasons. 

Whether, then, we consider the climate of Alabama in regard 
to its temperature, rainfall or atmospheric moisture, we find it in- 
fluenced by its mountains, its proximity to the Gulf and Atlantic, 
and its prevailing winds. These influences are such as to cause 
the greatest variety, and at the same time prevent extremes. 

MORTALITY STATISTICS. 

I have, with a good degree of detail, yet in a very cursory man- 
ner, given the facts in regard to the topography and climate of 
Alabama. It remains to make some general remarks in applica- 
tion of these facts to the subject before us. In continuation of the 
design of this paper, which is to give data for the formation of 
opinions, rather than the mere expression of opinions, I shall 
give, as far as I can, the data derived from mortality statistics, 
for the formation of correct conclusions. 

In order to do this, I have collated from the Report of the Board 
of Health of Alabama, 1884, and from the census of the United 
States, 1880, data which will enable us to compare the different 
sections of the State with each other, and the State with other 
States of the Union. 

Deaths per 1,000 of population in each section of the State ; 
Section 1, Pine Lands, Southern Alabama, 13.10. Section 2^ 
Prairie Belt, Middle Alabama, 14.46. Section 3, Red Clay Lands, 
East Alabama, 12.27. Section 4, Central Mountainous, 14.30- 
Section 5, Tennessee Basin, 16.13. 



268 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



These figures have been corrected so as to correspond with the 
rate per 1,000 of population (14.20) given as the death rate of 
Alabama by the census of 1880. 

According to these figures, we find that No. 3 stands first in 
point of healthfuluess ; No. 1, second ; No. 4, third ; No. 2, 
fourth ; No. 5, fifth. 

The following table gives the annual death rate per 1,000 of 
population (census, 1880) of the States named, of the United 
States, and rate per 1,000 of colored population : 





TOTAL. 


COLORED. 


Umted States 


15 09 
14.20 
14.74 
15 09 
23 60 
15.78 

14 39 
18 10 
18 59 
16.89 
16.33 
17 38 

15 39 
17.00 
16.80 
16.32 




Alabama 


16 06 


Connecticut ; 


19 74 


Delaware . 


19 29 


District Columbia , 

Indiana 


32 61 
25.40 


Kentucky 


19.75 


Maryland. 


21 48 


Massachusetts 

Missouri 

New Jersey . 

New York 

North Carolina 


20 12 
20 79 
18.86 
22.28 
17 79 


Rhode Island 

Tennessee 

Virginia 


27 68 
21 74 
19 34 



It is seen from this table that the rate of deaths in Alabama is 
less than the aggregate of the United States, and also less than 
any one of the States named. Also, by a comparison of the total 
and the colored rates, it is seen that the colored death rate is, in 
ever instance, greater than that of the total rate, which would 
make the difference greater between the white and colored than 
appears in these figures. The white rate as given for Alabama is 
12.58 ; colored, 18.86. Virginia, 14.01 ; colored, 19.34. New 
Jersey, 16.20; colored, 18.86; New York, 17.33; colored, 22.28. 

It may be said that the census among the colored was more 
imperfect than among the whites. The same care was taken to 
reach them as the whites ; and why should the negro, when ques- 
tioned on this point, not remember the death in his family as well 
as the white man? In fact, we find the ratio of deaths in every 
instance is greater among the colored than the whites. This 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 269 



increased death rate among the colored race puts those States 
which have a large colored population, such as Alabama, Tennes- 
see and Virginia, at a disadvantage when their total death rate is 
compared with those which have a smaller colored poDulation. 
So, that if it be true that there is a deficiency in the enumeration 
of the blacks, this deficiency is more than counterbalanced in a 
comparison between the Southern and the Northern States by the 
increased death rate in the large colored population of the former. 
We have every reason to believe, from these figures, that the 
chances for life are better in Alabama than in the other States 
named in the table. 

The reasons for this will appear more plainly by the following 
comparison of certain general diseases which prevail in every part 
of the United States. I have selected for this purpose. Malarial 
Fever, Typhoid Fever, Consumption, Pneumonia, Diphtheria and 
Cancer. These six diseases are more generally prevalent than any 
others. In the United States, in 1879-80, according to the census 
of 1880, from all causes there were 756,893 deaths, or 15.09 per 
1,000. From the six diseases above named, there were, for the 
same time, 248,619 deaths, or 4.95 per 1,000 of population ; or 
328, to every 1,000 deaths in the United States. Thus it is seen 
that nearly one-third of the total number of deaths was from these 
six causes. 

In Alabama there were from all diseases 17,929 deaths, or 14.20 
per 1,000 of population. From the sis diseases above mentioned 
there were in Alabama 6,2T4, or 4.96 per 1,000 of population; or 
344 deaths per 1,000 of all diseases in the State. This gives you 
a fraction over one-third of the deaths by all diseases. 

I have selected New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, for a 
comparison with Alabama, based upon these six diseases. In these 
three States the rate per 1,000 of all deaths is less than in Ala- 
bama, which is to the disadvantage of the last named State in the 
comparison; and yet when we compare the rate per 1,000 of popu 
lation of these six diseases in Alabama with the rate of the same 
diseases for the United States, and for the other three States, we 
find but very little difference, showing that the larger rate from 
malarial fevers in Alabama is very nearly counterbalanced by the 
greater prevalence of the remaining five diseases in the entire 



270 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



United States, and also in the States of New York, New Jersey 
and Connecticut. A.nd, if this comparison is extended to all dis- 
eases, this excess is more than counterbalanced, as shown by the 
table on a preceding page. 

The rate of malarial fever (l.Oi) in Alabama, is high, as com- 
pared with the other States named, but there are compensating fac- 
tors. This is evident, when we compare the rate of consumption in 
Alabama (1.30), with that of New. York (2.01), Connecticut 
(2.02), and New Jersey (1.86). 

So, also, with typhoid fever, Alabama, 0.23; New York, 0.29; 
Connecticut, 0.32, and New Jersey, 0.22. Here Alabama has the 
advantage, except in New Jersey which is nearly the same. 

So, again with diptheria. United States, 0.76; Alabama, 0.18; 
New York, 0.81; New Jersey, 0.32; Connecticut, 0.36. Here 
Alabama has largely the advantage of the other States. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



271 



D 

o 


[ •S.JSB8S_[Q HB 

P 000' I -i^cl 9;bh 




: : : 








00 
C<l 


•uoiiBindoj 
[(0 UOO'I •I'^d 8;b^ 


34 
0.32 
2 02 
1.25 
36 
0.42 


g 

■^ 


xig aq) }o nDBd 
ioi sqjBaff JO osT 


177 
167 
1,150 
651 
189 
222 




CO 


•sasBafliQ iiB 
jO 000' I J8ti a;Ba 




o 
1--. 


•uoiiB[ndoj 
fo 000' I J8d aj^jji 


23 
22 
1.86 
1.05 
32 
0.32 


5 

CO 


•s-esuasiQ 
x;.:^ aqj jo qo'ua 
|i6j sqiB^Q }o Ofj 


142 

177 
1,456 
825 
251 
255 


o 

1—1 
00 


M 
O 


•saseasiQ jib 
(0 000' [ -lad Ql'Ba 




^ 


•uopHindoj 
(0 OOO'l'-iacI 84Ba 


0.15 
0.29 
2 01 
1.03 
0.81 
0.38 




saseasiQ | e5 ^ § 5 S § 
xig aqi JO q;D8a "* <» "^ "^i «^.. <=>. 

lOJ SqiBi^Q JO -OJ^ »0 0« CM rH 


TP 
■* 

2 


< 

< 


•sasBasiq i|B 

(O 000' I ^^^ s^^a 






•uoij'Bindoj 

(o 000 iJ^d y^^a 


1.04 
0.23 
1.30 
1.40 
0.18 
16 


53 


•SaSBOSlQ 

xtg aq; jo qoBa 
loj sq)Ba(j JO OM 


1,317 

976 

1,700 

l,74e 

231 

202 


CM 

CO 


< 
Q 

t3 


•uoiiB[ndod 
JO 000' I -lad ai«a 


0.47 
0.61 
2.10 
1.47 
0.76 
0.26 




— -5r o CO ro 30 

•sas'Basia CM « ©3 S 2: § 

Xig aqj JO qOBa o" cm" rn" eo" oo" eo" 
ioj sq^Baa JO -Oii c< (M w CO CO -. 


CO 
00 

" 1 






m 

> 

'C 


Typhoid Fevers . . 

Consumption 

Pneumonia 


2 

X. 


1- 




a 

"of 
O 

H 





272 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Dr. J. S. Billings, of the U. S. A., located at WaBhington, has 
collated, from the census of 1880, some very interesting data 
upon the mortality of the United States. In his address before 
the British Medical Association, August, 1886, he exhibited the 
results in maps, shaded so as to represent the relative mortality 
by certain diseases in different parts of the United States. These 
maps are portioned off by six different shades, according to the 
prevalence of the disease represented, the rate per thousand of all 
diseases being indicated by the shading. One of these maps, 
No. 4, shows "the distribution of deaths from cancer, as compared 
with the total deaths from all known causes." In these six divis- 
ions, the lowest has under 10 per 1,000, and the highest 35 and 
over per 1,000. In this map, Alabama is placed in the second 
lowest grade, or 10 to 15 to 1,000. 

Another map. No. 2, shows the distribution of consumption, 
the grades ranging from 75 to 175 and over per 1,000. Here, all 
Alabama, except in the northeastern mountain region, and the 
Tennessee Basin, is represented in the lowest grade, under 75 
per 1,000; and the excepted part is only in the fourth grade, or 
125 to 150 per 1,000. 

The pine regions of Alabama have ever been regarded as well 
suited to consumptives. On the map referred to. Dr. Billings 
ranks this part of Alabama as superior to Florida. The map 
shows in this part of Alabama, 50 to 75, and in Florida, 75 to 
100 per 1,000. 

All the eastern and middle States, many of the western 
States, and most of California, show from 150 to 175 per 
1,000. 

Dr. Billings has also represented on another map. No. 3, the 
distribution of pneumonia. On this map, Alabama ranks in the 
third grade, 100 to 125 per 1,000, except in the northeastern 
part, where it ranks in the second grade, 75 to 100 per 1,000. 
This latter is the portion of Alabama where consumption pre- 
vails to a greater extent than in other parts of the State. These 
maps, not only in Alabama, but in every section of the country, 
represent apparent antagonism between pneumonia and con- 
sumption; or where one prevails the other is rare. 

This is markedly set out in a mountain region of country on 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 273 



the upper Colorado River, divided into two parts by this river. 
Here, on the east side of the river, consumption prevails to the 
extent of 125 to 150 per 1,000, and on the west side only 75 per 
1,000. But on the other hand, on the east side of this river, in 
the same locality, pneumonia prevails only to the extent of 100 
to 125 per 1,000, while on the west side it prevails to the 
extent of 175 and over, per 1,000. 

A similar antagonism, is by some supposed to exist between 
malarial fever and consumption, but here as in the case of pneu- 
monia and consumption, the apparent antagonism is rather to 
be sought in the sanitary environments in their relation to the 
two diseases, than in any antagonism of the diseases them- 
selves. But though there may not exist any antagonism be- 
tween the different diseases, yet it is evident from what has 
gone before, that there are often compensating factors in the 
sanitary history of one section as compared with another. While 
in one locality or State, a given disease may prevail to a greater 
extent than in another, the compensating environments will 
balance the mortality accounts, so as to make them equal in the 
two localities. 

This is the idea intended to be set out in this paper. While 
it is not denied that malarial fever prevails in Alabama to a 
greater extent than in some other States, we have seen that it 
is not peculiar to Alabama and other Southern States, but 
prevails to some extent in every part of the Union. We have 
found it on the Atlantic coast, in New Jersey and Connecticut, 
the Pacific slope, in California, Oregon, and Washington Terri- 
tory, and among the peaks of the Rocky Mountains, in Wyoming 
and Idaho. * * * jq-Qt Qjj[y t;his, we find that the 
. topographical and climatic influences which engender this disease 
are unfavorable to the prevalence of consumption and diptheria, 
and hence, these latter diseases are very prevalent in the States 
where malarial fever is less prevalent. 

These compensating influences balance the account between 
the two, and I believe any fair mind, which will examine the 
data here presented, will be forced to this conclusion. 

I have already given facts to show that the deleterious influen- 
ces of the prairie region have been much changed for the better, 



274 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



and its sanitary condition thereby improved. The increased re- 
gard for the importance of sanitary precaution, which is being 
rapidly developed through the efforts of the Medical Association 
of the State of Alabama, stamps the motto of this association, 
7ion etiani speravimus meliora, as applicable, not only to the pro- 
gress of medical science, but also to the future sanitary condition 
of the State. In this connection it is well to say a few words in 
regard to the organization of the 

MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE STATE OF ALABAMA. 

This society has been in existence since the year 1847 ; but 
was reorganized by the adoption of a new constitution in 1873. 

Under the constitution, the association consists of two classes 
of members, viz: one hundred counselors, or permanent members, 
and two delegates from each county society. In February, 1875, 
the Legislature passed an act, by which the Medical Association 
of the State is created the Board of Health of the State of Ala- 
bama, and the county medical societies, the Boards of Health for 
their respective counties. 

The State Board of Health has its board of censors, consisting 
of ten members, which is also the committee of health. The 
county boards have also their committee of health, with an execu- 
tive health officer for their respective counties. Thus, it will be 
seen, the Board of Health ramifies into every county, with the 
central board, directing and controlling all. To these boards of 
health, State and county, are entrusted all the sanitary interests 
of the State. 

By this means the sanitary legislation of the State is placed, 
where it should be, under the control of the doctors of the State. 
Feeling the responsibility that rests upon them, they are working 
energetically and systematically, to educate the people up to a 
proper appreciation of health and the means of securing it; and 
they hope soon to make Alabama, what her sanitary enviroments 
warrant, one of the healthiest States in the Union. 
A word in regard to the 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 275 



MINERAL WATERS 

Of the State, as adjuncts to its liealtbfulness, and I shall close 
this paper, which has already grown to a much greater length than 
was intended. Mineral waters have ever been held in high esteem 
as curative elements ; both by the profession and by the people. 
And no doubt many of them possess healing properties of great 
value, particularly in chronic afifectione, where we seek to restore 
heath through an (dieratire process, and to build up those worn 
down by over work and disease through the nutritive system; and 
thereby give fat and blood to these weary ones. Mineral Waters^ 
then, are important factors in the healthfuluess of a State. 

Alabama is fortunate in having quite a number of mineral wa- 
ters of sufficient variety to be suited to a large class of diseases. 

These waters may be divided in four varieties, viz: sulphur, 
acid of vichey, chalybeate, and saline. 

The larger proportion of the waters of the State belongs to the 
class of sulphur waters. To this class belongs Bladon Springs, 
Choctaw county; Blount Springs, Blount county; Jackson's 
Spring, Clarke county; Shelby Sprirgs, Shelby county; Talla- 
dega Springs, Talladega county; St. Clair Springs, St. Clair 
county. Others might be added to the list, but these are repre- 
sentative. Of these Bladon, Blount and St. Clair are most noted. 

Bladon Sulphur is situated in Choctaw county, in the pine re- 
gion of the State, and in addition to its virtue as a medical water 
has the advantage of that healthy pine country, the characteris- 
tics of which have already been pointed out. At the same place 
is also located the Bladon Vichey, so that one may have the choice 
of the two; and near by (two miles), is Culluni's Soda SuljjJiur^ 
This latter has a large quantity of carbonate of soda, and is well 
suited to dyspepsia, and the acid variety. All of them have car- 
bonic acid, and one of them, the Bladon Vichey, has 1 LO cubic 
inches to the gallon. Healing Spring, in the same county, is a 
chalybeate water. I have not seen an analysis, but have good 
reason to believe it a carbonate, held rather as a medical mixture, 
than in chemical solution. The water, on tests, gives very little 
indication of iron, yet the carbonate of iron is deposited from it 
around the spring in very large quantities, so much so that it is- 



276 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



gathered, dried and used as a medicine by the visitors. This de- 
posit is in the form of an impalpable powder, and no doubt pos- 
sesses, to a great extent, the virtues of the water. The water is 
cool^and pleasant to the taste, and has a notable quantity of car- 
bonic acid, which constantly bubbles from the surface. This 
renders it a light water, and visitors drink it in large quantities 
without a feeling of fullness of the stomach. Thus used, it acts 
freely (perhaps mechanically) upon the kidneys, and is gaining 
considerable reputation for the cure of albuminuria. 

This county (Choctaw) also produces the now somewhat noted 
acid iron earth. This is produced by lixiviation of the earth in 
rude hoppers. It is a watery solution of sulphate of iron with 
probably crenic and hypocrenic acids in small quantity. It, how- 
ever, owes what virtue it has to the sulphate of iron, and being 
a watery solution, I have here spoken of it as a mineral water. 

Nearly akin to this in properties is McCalVs Well, near Green- 
ville, Butler county. 

This well is a new candidate for the suffrages of the class of 
invalids who annually visit watering places, and will no doubt 
attain to popularity. It is a strong sulphate of iron water, and 
has much the appearance and taste of the acid iron earth, with 
which it evidently is closely allied in its properties. The follow- 
ing is the analysis by Professor Stubbs, late of the A. and M. 
College of Alabama, now of the University of Louisiana: 

One litre contaiDS, sulphuric acid, 84^ grains; ferric oxide, 27f 
grains; ferrous oxide; 17f grains; caicic oxide, 107-10 grains; 
potasic oxide, 2^ grains; magnesic oxide, 4| grains; sodium, 4-10 
grains; chlorine, 3-5 grains; silica, 2£ grains; carbonic acid, 
57-10 grains. 

While this is not strictly speaking an alum water, it possesses 
some of the characteristics of the Bath alum and Rockbridge alum 
springs of Virginia, but is very much stronger in sulphuric acid 
and iron than either of these. I cannot speak at length of all of 
these springs, but Blount and St. Clair are worthy of special 
notice. They are sulphur springs, both of them with well-earned 
popularity, and both located in the mountain region of the State, 
and thus have the advantage of elevation and mountain scenery. 

I will mention only one other — the Livingston artesian water 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 277 



at Livingston, Sumter county. This is a saline water, and the 
only one in the State of this class with any reputation for med- 
icinal virtues. It is, as its name implies, an artesian well, bored 
through the cretaceous limestone to the depth of 1,060 feet. It is 
located in the Prairie Belt on the public square of Livingston, 
which, like Tuscaloosa, is situated on a bed of "sandy drift," and 
hence has excellent subdrainage. To this fact, and the complete 
drainage of all the surrounding country, is no doubt due its now 
well-established reputation for healthfulness. 

The water has a large quantity of chloride of sodium, notable 
quantities of chloride of iron and magnesia, and an appreciable 
quantity of bromide of sodium, with a large amount of caibonic 
acid. It is especially noted for the cure of dyspepsia and chronic 
diarrhoea, or dysentery. It acts freely upon the kidneys and has 
a reputation for diseases of this organ. It has been used by hun- 
dreds in the past five years with almost invariable success. 

Alabama, with such a record of healthfulness, its varied topog- 
raphy and climate, fertile soils, and unrivaled mineral resources, 
offers great inducements to those seeking homes in the South. 



278 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



RIVER SYSTEM OF ALABAMA 



Of all the States of the Union, Alabama has the greatest num- 
ber of valuable waterways. Her rivers are not only more numerous, 
but excel also in their length and value, as they drain all the regions 
for which the State is famous — timber, agricultural, and mineral. 
Every section of the htate is favored with an abundant supply 
of water, and is accessible to water transportation. The inland 
steam navigation of the State exceeds 2,000 miles. These splen- 
did rivers will ultimately serve as valuable channels of commerce 
in bearing the products from the mines, fields, and forests of 
Alabama to the Southern seas and thence to different quarters of 
the globe. Nearly all the rivers are navigable, though several 
are interrupted in their navigation by natural barriers which can 
be removed, while others, which are not fitted for navigable pur- 
poses, have falls that will eventually prove valuable to manufac- 
turers. 

THE TENNESSEE KIVER. 

The primitive tribes called this majestic stream, which scoops 
in the northern tier of counties, the Great Bend, which is said to 
be the njeaning of Tennessee. Having its source in the south- 
western part of Virginia, it flows towards the southwest, 280 
miles, to Knoxville, Tennesse. Sixty miles, still to the southwest, 
it reaches Loudon, Tennessee. At this point it turns at right- 
angles and flows toward the northwest, making its way through 
several subordinate ridges, twenty-four miles to Kingston, Ten- 
nessee, where it forms a junction with the Clinch River, one of 
its largest tributaries. At the last named point the river resumes 
a southwest course for 110 miles, where it reaches the bustling 
city of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Here it alternates again, swoop- 
ing abruptly to the northwest, nineteen miles, and pushing its 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 279 



way through the eastern branch of the Cumberland range to what 
is known as the Boiling Pot, once a natural obstruction, which is 
removed. Again alternating, the river turns sharply to the south- 
west and flows iu a tortuous course for forty-one miles to Bridge- 
port, Alabama, and on in the same direction it pursues its way 
seventy-four miles further to the promising town of Guntersville, 
Alabama. Turning to the northwest again at this last-named 
point, it gradually bends its way toward the north for the distance 
of fifty-one miles to Decatur, Alabama. Just ten miles below 
this point, at Brown's Ferry, is met the head of the famous natural 
obstruction. Muscle Shoals. This obstruction embraces about 
thirty-eight miles of this splendid stream. It does not terminate 
until the stream comes within sight of Florence, Alabama. Just 
thirty-four miles from Florence is Waterloo, Alabama, where the 
Tennessee bends northward, and, after traversing 296 miles, it 
empties into the Ohio at Paducah, Kentucky. Thus the total 
distance from its fountain head to Paducah is 1,037 miles. Nearly 
one-third of the river is embraced in Alabama. It flows through 
five great States, to each of which it is of immense benefit. It 
is almost equal to the Ohio in length, breadth and volume, and 
ranks sixth in magnitude among the rivers of the North Ameri- 
can continent. It is only necessary to complete the removal of 
the natural impediment at the Muscle Shoals to make it a channel 
of commerce the value of which to our own State as well as to 
others cannot be computed. 

MOBILE RIVER. 

Mobile River is the result of the junction of the Alabama and 
Tombigbee Rivers, about fifty miles north of the city of Mobile. 
It flows its short course in a deep, broad channel between the coun- 
ties of Mobile and Baldwin, and empties into Mobile Bay just 
below the city of Mobile. Along its broad bosom and deep chan- 
nel are conveyed the products of the upper country as they de- 
scend the Alabama, Tombigbee, Little Tombigbee and Black 
Warrior. And when the obstructions which now block the chan- 
nel of the Coosa are removed, the abundant mineral and agricul- 
tural products which will be borne down that stream, will be con- 
veyed along the broad surface of Mobile River. 



280 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



TOMBIGBEE EIVER. 

This large and important stream is formed by the junction of the 
upper Tombigbee and the Black Warrior Rivers, in the northern 
edge of the county of Marengo, and but a short distance above 
the city of Demopolis. It affords a natural means of transpor- 
tation to the counties lying adjacent, viz : Marengo, Sumter, Choc- 
taw, Clarke and Washington. Measured from its formation by 
the rivers just named to its junction with the Alabama, about 
fifty miles above Mobile, it is about 256 miles long. It is one of 
the most important rivers of the South, penetrating as it does 
the western portion of the noted cotton belt. Lands of marvel- 
ous fertility lie on either side of this noble stream from its forma- 
tion to its confluence with the Alabama. Like its twin sister, the 
Alabama River, it is an important thoroughfare leading to the deep 
waters of the Gulf. Besides furnishing transportation of agri- 
cultural products, it is a natural means of conveyance to the dis- 
tant markets of the timbers of the splendid forests which lie con- 
tiguous to it. And at no distant day it will furnish transportion 
to the mineral productions to which the Tombigbee is sufficiently 
accessible to be easily reached by short and cheap railway lines. 
And when the obstructions are removed from the Black Warrior 
and Sipsey Rivers, which penetrate the mineral heart of Alabama, 
the Tombigbee will be second to no stream in the South as an im- 
portant channel of commerce. 

LITTLE, OR UPPER TOMBIGBEE RIVER. 

The Little Tombigbee, which is only a continuation of the stream 
just treated, rises in the northwestern part of the State of Missis- 
sippi. Following toward the South, it touches Alabama first on 
the western border of Pickens county and forms the boundary 
line between that county and Mississippi for a considerable dis- 
tance. Both Columbus and Aberdeen, points of great importance 
in Mississippi, are situated upon this river, and their prosperity 
is, in no small measure, due to the commercial advantages which 
the Little Tombigbee affords to the city of Mobile and the waters of 
the Gulf. For nearly three-fourths of the year this river is one 
of the chief channels of commerce to the three famous agricul- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 281 



tural counties of Pickens, Green and Sumter. From its junction 
with the Warrior to Fulton, the head of navigation, the distance 
is 320 miles, which, taken in connection with the length of the 
Lower Tombigbee, or Tombigbee proper, the distance from Mo- 
bile to Fulton is 563 miles. 

THE BLACK WARRIOR. 

The region penetrated by this stream, its volume and perpetual 
flow, and its fall of five feet to the mile above the city of Tusca- 
loosa, make it at once a river of vast importance to the prospec- 
tive, wealth of Alabama. It is formed by the union of two large 
creeks, known as the Locust and Mulberry Forks, near the center 
of the immense mineral region ot Alabama. These large, deep 
forks, which meet upon the confines of the counties of Walker and 
Jefferson, rise far up in the plateau of Sand Mountain, and thor- 
oughly drain the famous Warrior coalfields. Nature seems to 
have designed these streams as lines of commerce along which to 
float the vast deposits of mineral wealth to the seas of the South. 
Follow along the lines of these great natural prongs and you tra- 
verse the richest mineral fields of the world, and descend along 
the ever- widening and deepening streams until you reach the har- 
bor of Mobile. Barges laden with coal may be launched at any 
point along the great tributaries of the Warrior and floated along 
waters of gradual descent to the Gulf. It is impossible now to 
estimate the value which the Warrior will be to Alabama when 
the impediments which now block its channel are cleared away. 
With the river below Tuscaloosa improved so as to be navigable 
for tugs and barges, a coal trade would be inaugurated that would, 
in a single year, change the whole aspect of the prosperty of our 
great Commonwealth. 

SirSEY RIVER. 

This is one of the main tributaries of the Upper Tombigbee 
Eiver, entering that stream near the village of Vienna, in Pickens 
county. It finds its source in Fayette county, north of Fayette 
Court-house, and flows to the southwest through a portion of the 
Warrior coal-field and the fertile sections of Tuscaloosa and 
Pickens counties, a distance of 185 miles. It is navigable for 



282 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



light draught steamerB and has been used for such even as high 
as Fayette Court-house. But this was the result of private enter- 
prise. The value of the stream, in its relations to the rich min- 
eral sections of Alabama, has never been appreciated. Along its 
banks abound not only rich mineral and agricultural products, 
but as fine building stone as exists in the State, as well as im- 
mense forests of timber. It has be^n estimated that if rendered 
navigable, at least 10,000 bales of cotton would annually be trans- 
ported along its current to the city of Mobile. Barges ladened with 
coal are now floated along the Sipsey River during the high water, 
and down the Tombiofbee to the Gulf. 

THE NOXUBEE KIVER. 

This is an important tributary of the Upper Tombigbee, flow- 
ing into it about one mile above the town of Gainesville, in Sum- 
ter county. Its source is in Choctaw county, Mississippi. Flow- 
ing through immense forests and penetrating some of the most 
fertile lands of Alabama and Mississippi for more than a hundred 
miles, it loses itself in the waters of the Tombigbee at the point 
just named. During the high water stage the Noxubee is navi- 
gable as high as Macon, Mississippi. It is susceptible of naviga- 
tion to a point much higher with the removal of the bars, snags, 
and rafts which now obstruct its channel. Making its way 
through a country so highly favored in its agricultural capabili- 
ties, this stream would be of considerable benefit to the shippers 
of cotton in the sections of Mississippi and Alabama which it pene- 
trates. Easy and cheap transportation to Mobile would thus be 
afforded thousands of bales of cotton, to say nothing of other pro- 
ductions and the timbers hewn from neighboring forests. 

THE ALABAMA RIVER. 

This is the chief river of the State. It is formed by the junc- 
tion of the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers, not a great distance 
from the city of Montgomery. It has been constantly navigated 
by large steamers since the earliest settlement of the State. 
Reports of the principal navigable rivers of the WDrld show that 
the Alabama River is freer from obstructions and disadvantages 
than any other on the globe. Its relation to the future develop- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS 283 



ment of the resources of the State is readily seen when one un- 
folds the map of Alabama and discovers that it penetrates unlim- 
ited forests of most excellent timber and of every variety ; flows 
through eight of the finest agricultural counties of Alabama, viz : 
Elmore, Montgomery, Autauga, Lowudee, Dallas, Wilcox, Mon- 
roe and Clarke, and is also easily accessible lo portions of the 
great coal domains by short railway lines. Appreciating this fact, 
a line is soon to be constructed between the Cahaba coalfields and 
Selma, where vast advautages will be enjoyed for easy and cheap 
transportation to the Mexican Gulf, and tbence to distant portions 
of the world. From Selma tbe river is always navigable, however 
dry the season. 

Another line of railway is projected from Montgomery to Brier- 
field, the purpose of which is so ship the mineral from the Cahaba 
coalfield to the capital city for manufacturing j^urposes, as well as 
for shipment along the deep channel of the Alabama Kiver to 
Mobile. There is now plying between Montgomery and Mobile 
a line of steamers, under the auspices of Montgomery Trade 
Company. They are expected to act in concert with a line of 
ste.'^mers plying between the last-named point and New York. 

These items are thus indicated, only to show the relation which 
this great ventricle of commerce must inevitabb bear to the future 
development of the resources of Alabama. 

THE CAHABA RIVER. 

This liver rises in the midst of the rocky bills of the county of 
St. Clair. From its source to the point where it empties into the 
Alabama liiver, just nineteen miles below Selma, its estimated 
length is 112 miles. It is important, by reason of the fact that 
it cuts its way through the deposits of coal and iron in Shelby 
and Bibb counties, and flows through the prolific lands of Perry 
and Dallas. There fs no reason why the Cahaba, with its volume 
of water pouring incessantly through the mineral treasures of 
Central Alabama, and mingling with the deep waters of the Ala- 
bama which flow into tie Gulf, may not become a thoroughfare of 
vast importance to the interior oi the State. 

The Cahaba is now scarcely navigable for boats, though 
steamers Lave ascended the river eighty miles, to Centerville, 



284 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



This an indication of what may be accomplished at slight govern- 
mental expense. Besides the benefits derived from the Cahaba 
mineral regions, there are vast quantities of cotton grown con- 
tiguous to the river, which would find a convenient mode of trans- 
portation, were the stream rendered navigable. Like all other 
rivers of this region, the Cahaba wends its way through vast 
forests of the most valuable oak, hickory, poplar, pine and cypress. 

THE COOSA RIVER. 

The river which bears the above name, like most of the larger 
streams of Alabama, is the result of the junction of others. 
Amid the mountains of Northern Georgia, there rise two streams, 
known as the Oostanaula and Etowah Rivers. Both these flow 
toward the southwest, and at Rome, Georgia, they unite and form 
the beautiful Coosa. This was the river whose valley so charmed 
DeSoto, as far back as 1540, that after his disastrous conflict at 
Maubila, he wanted to return and colonize it. 

The Coosa is navigable from Rome to Greensport, on the north, 
and from Wetumpka to its mouth, on the south, leaving an inter- 
vening distance of 137 miles that is not navigable. With the 
river cleared of its hindrances to navigation, there would be 
opened up a waterway from Mobile to Rome, Georgia, of 854 
miles. This grand waterway would drain more than 28,000 
square miles of territory in Georgia and Alabama, unsurpassed 
in richness of soil and mineral wealth. The Coosa River flows 
through that section of Alabama where the immense coalfields 
lie side by side with extensive beds of iron ore, of several varieties 
and finest qualities. In the same neighborhood, are found, in 
exhaustless supplies, sandstone, litnestoce and fireclay. 

All things considered, the opening up of no waterway in Ala- 
bama would spread all around more industry, prosperity and 
wealth, than that of the Coosa. 

THE TALLAPOOSA RIVER, 

Which unites with the Coosa, and forms the Alabama, rises in the 
western portion of Georgia. It is a stream of rapid and per- 
petual flow; and because of the rapidity of its descent, it affords 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 285 



excellent water-power. At different points along the line of this 
historic and romantic stream, may be found miles of cascades, the 
roar of which may be heard at a great distance. One of these 
remarkable falls is found at Tallassee. This immense water- 
power suggests its utility at no distant day in the manufactures. 

THE CHATTAHOOCHEE EIVER. 

The Chattahoochee rises among the Blue Ridge Mountains, 
in extreme Northwestern Georgia, and Hows southwest to the Ala- 
bama line. For more than 100 miles it forms the eastern boun- 
dary of Alabama, and bears considerable commercial relations to 
the counties of Chambers, Lee, Russell, Barbour, and Henry. 
It is navigable as high as Girard, Alabama. On the opposite 
side of the stream, at this point, is located the city of Columbus, 
Georgia, which has become noted as a manufacturing center in 
the South. 

A large portion of the territory drained by the Chattahoochee 
possesses fine advantages. Yast districts of superior lands for 
tillage exist; while immense forests of pine, cypress, and cedar 
prevail. Flowing across the Florida line, the Chattahoochee 
empties into the Appalachicola river. 

THE CHOCTAWATCHEE RIVER. 

This clear and beautiful stream, together with its principal 
tributary, the Pea River, drains the southeastern corner of the 
State. It is navigable for steamers as high as Geneva, in Geneva 
county, Alabama, Besides affording transportation to this sec- 
tion of the State, it is largely used for rafting purposes. 

THE CONECUH RIVER. 

The stream which bears this name, together with its chief 
tributaries, Patsaliga and Sepulga rivers, and Murder Creek, 
drains the southern portion of the State, between the Choctaw- 
hatchee, and Alabama. Small steamers have ascended this river, 
during the high water season, as far as Andalusia. The river 
has been extensively used for many years by lumbermen, whose 
timbers are easily floated to Pensacola, along the Conecuh and 



2S6 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Escambia Rivers. One of the chief attractions of the clear 
streams of this section is the quantity of fish to be obtained from 
them. As fine trout as ever sported in mountain streams are ob- 
tained from the creeks and rivers of South Alabama. 

Of course, in this brief review of the river system of Alabama, 
many of the subordinate streams have been omitted; only such as 
had special signficance in every geographical section of the State 
have received any notice in this hurried sketch. 

Enough has been presented, however, to demonstrate the fact 
that Alabama is second to no State in the Union in the extent and 
importance of its waterways. When, through government ap- 
propriations, the natural barriers which now exist shall have been 
removed, the waterways of this Commonwealth will be one of the 
chief factors of her prosperity. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



287 



Altitudes of Cities and Towns on Rail- 
ways in Alabama. 




HE heights of points on several of the railroad lines 
as obtained by the enginebrs in locating the lines above 
the sea level, are correct and of interest to all resident 
citizens or those seeking homes in Alabama, as follows : 

ON LOUISVILLE AND NASHVILLE RAILWAY FROM MONTGOMERY 

TO STATE LINE. 

Height of Montgomery above sea level 162 feet. 
Height of Coosada above sea level 175 feet. 
Height of Elmore above sea level 199 feet. 
Height of Deatsville above sea level 300 feet. 
Height of Mountain Creek above sea level 542 feet. 
Height of Verbena above sea level 450 feet. 
Height of Cooper's above sea level 458 feet. 
Height of Clanton above sea level 596 feet. 
Height of Lomax above sea level 625 feet. 
Height of Jemison above sea level 706 feet. 
Height of Clear Creek above sea level 540 feet. 
Height of Calera above sea level 502 feet. 
Height of Whiting above sea level 555 feet. 
Height of Silura above sea level 464 feet. 
Height of Pelham above sea level 427 feet. 
Height of Helena above sta level 400 feet. 
Height of Brock's ab'->ve sea level 564 feet. 
Height of Oxmoor above sea level 652 feet. 
Height of Birmicgham above sea level 602 feet. 
Height of Blount Springs above sea level 434 feet. 
Height of Cullman above sea level 802 feet. 
Height of Milner's above sea level 470 feet. 



288 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 

Height of Wilhite's above sea level 608 feet. 
Height of Flint above sea level 568 feet. 
Height of Decatur above sea level 577 feet. 
Height of Athens above sea level 709 feet. 
Height of Elkmont above sea level 796 feet. 
Height of Veto above sea level 610 feet. 

ALTITUDES OF STATIONS ON THE ALABAMA MIDLAND AND ITS 
TWO BRANCH ROADS. 

Height of Alaga above sea level 105 feet. 

Height of Gordon above sea level 165 feet. 

Height of Pansey above sea level 203 feet. 

Height of Ashford above sea level 240 feet. 

Height of Cowarts above sea level 260 feet. 

Height of Dothan above sea level 360 feet. 

Height of Abbeville Junction above sea level 360 feet. 

Height of Midland City above sea level 355 feet. 

Height of Pinckard above sea level 370 feet. 

Height of Newton above sea level 215 feet. 

Height of Ozark above sea level 415 feet. 

Height of Dillard above sea level 308 feet. 

Height of Ariosto above sea level 420 feet. 

Height of Tennille above sea level 300 feet. 

Height of Brundridge above sea level 380 feet; 

Height of Banks above sea level 555 feet. 

Height of Troy above sea level 545 feet. 

Height of Youngbloods above sea level 345 feet. 

Height of Ansley above sea level 445 feet. 

Height of Shady Grove above sea level 410 feet. 

Height of Grady above sea level 430 feet. 

Height of Ramer above sea level 455 feet. 

Height of Sprague Junction above sea level 250 feet. 

Height' of LeGrand above sea level 235 feet. 

Height of Tharin above sea level 230 feet. 

Height of Suowdoun above sea level 280 feet. 

Height of Dermid above sea level 180 feet. 

Height of Shops above sea level 185 feet. 

Height of Montgomery above sea level 185 feet. 



ALABAMA AS IT IB. 289 



LuvERNE Branch op Midland. 

Height of Luverne above sea level 365 feet. 
Height of Patsburg above sea level 340 feet. 
Height of Petrey above sea level 390 feet. 
Height of Bradleyton above sea level 415 feet. 
Height of Lapine above sea level 435 feet. 
Height of Naftel above sea level 490 feet. 
Height of Sellers above sea level 320 feet. 
Height of Ada above sea level 340 feet. 
Height of Junction above sea level 250 feet. 

Abbeville Southern Railway of Midland. 

Height of Junction above sea level 360 feet. 
Height of Headland above sea level 360 feet. 
Height of Wells above sea level 387 feet. 
Height of Camps above sea level 345 feet. 
Height of Abbeville above sea level 402 teet. 

ALTITUDES OF ALABA.MA, PENSACOLA AND MOBILE AND 
MONTGOMERY RAILWAY. 

Height of Pensacola above sea level 5 feet. 

Height of Pensacola Junction above sea level 30 feet. 

Height of Montgomery above sea level 165 feet. 

ALTITUDES ON MONTGOMERY AND WESTERN RAILROAD. 

Height of Montgomery above sea level 165 feet. 
Height of Fort Decatur above sea level 315 feet. 
Height of Chehaw above sea level 252 feet. 
Height of Opelika above sea level 812 feet. 
Height of Summit above sea level 847 feet. 
Height of West Point above sea level 415 feet. 



290 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



ALTITUDr:S ON ALABAMA GREAT SOUTHERN. 

Height of Cuba, Sumter county, above sea level 200 feet. 

Height of York, Sumter county, above sea level 140 feet. 

Height of Livingston, Sumter county, above sea level 120 feet. 

Height of Eutaw, Greene county, above sea level 171 feet. 

Height of Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa county, above sea level 162 ft. 

Height of Woodstock, Bibb county, above sea level 500 feet. 

Height of Jonesboro above sea level 503 feet. 

Height of Trussville above sea level 683 feet. 

Height of Springville above sea level 708 feet. 

Height of Attalla above sea level 552 feet. 

Height of Collinsville above sea level 719 feet. 

Height of Brandon above sea level 877 feet. 

Height of Fort Payne above sea level 864 feet. 

Height of Valley Head, DeKalb county, above sea level 1058 ft. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 291 



ALABAMA SCHOOLS FOE THE DEAF AND BLIND. 

^§^HEOUGH the liberality of the State Legislature the 

^jffll 11 three below named schools have been established and 

^ftl ^ annual appropriations made to keep them in fine working 

condition. Talladega county is a fine agricultural as 

well as mineral section. The city of Talladega noted for its 

healthfulness and enterprises. 

INSTITUTE FOE THE DEAF. 

The property of the State, known as the "Institute for the 
Deaf," is within a quarter of a mile of the public square of the 
city of Talladega, embraces seventeen acres of land, five sub- 
stantial brick buildings, two, three and four stories high. 

The Main Building is a four-story brick, with slate roof; in 
this building are the girls' dormitories, sitting-rooms, sewing- 
rooms, bath-rooms; in this building, also are teachers' and officers' 
quarters, reception rooms, parlors, etc., the Superintendent's 
office and apartments. 

To the right of the Main Building is the School Building, a 
three- story brick, slate roof. Here are the class rooms and chapel, 
and, on the third floor, boys' dormitories and hospital. 

To the left of the Main Building is a four-story brick, slate 
roof, containing boys' dormitories, study-halls, sitting-rooms and 
bath-rooms. 

In the rear of the Main Building, and at a little distance from 
it, is the "Mechanical Department," a two-story brick, metal roof; 
in this building we have a steam boiler and engine to furnish 
power for wood-working machinery, printing-presses, sewing- 
machines, etc. The printing-office, cabinet- shop and shoe shop 
are all in this building; a steam laundry, perfect in its appoint- 
ments, occupies one end of the ground floor. 



292 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



ACADEMY FOE THE BLIND. 

This property lies one- half mile east of the Institute for the 
Deaf, on the same street. It consists of six acres of land and 
three handsome, new brick buildings. 

The Main Building, an imposing three-story brick, with slate 
and metal roof, stands on the highest ground and near the center 
of the lot. In this building we have the chapel, dining-room, 
boys' and girlb' dormitories, sitting-rooms, study- halls and music- 
rooms, boys' and girls' hospitals, teachers and officers' quarters, 
reception rooms and Superintendent's business office. 

To the right, and in front of the Main Building, is the 
School Building, a two-story brick, with basement, containing 
class-rooms, music-rooms, library, etc., also boys' dormitory and 
sitting-room. 

Immediately to the right of the Main Building is a two-story 
brick, slate roof, containing shops, laundry-room, bath-room, and 
boiler-room, in which our steam plant is located. 

All three of these buildings are comfortably heated by steam, 
lighted by gas from the city gas works. We are also supplied 
with water from the city water works, and have an abundant 
supply for all purposes. 

SCHOOL FOR NEGRO DEAF-MUTES AND BLIND. 

The building for this school is a handsome three-story and 
basement, brick building, covered with slate and trimmed with 
stone, elegantly furnished throughout. The lot embraces eight 
( 8 ) acres, and is a fine site for a public building. It will accom- 
modate seventy-five pupils. 

In all of these schools there is a Mechanical or Industrial 
Department, where the pupils are given trades, by means of 
which they may become entirely, or in part, self-supporting. 

At the Institute for the Deaf the boys are taught general habits 
of industry: they receive special instruction at the following 
trades; printing, shoe-making, cabinet and carpenter work, 
house painting, vegetable and landscape gardening; the girls 
are taught ho ase- work, plain and machine sewing, dress-making, 
cutting and fitting, crocheting, house-cleaning, etc. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 293 



At the Academy for the Bliud the boys are taught mattress- 
making, cane-seating, collar-making, basket- making, piano- 
tuning and repairing, etc. The girls also learn cane- seating, in 
addition to sewing, knitting, crocheting, house- cleaning, etc. 

These several arts and trades are run solely for the purpose of 
benefitting the pupils, and while there is some little revenue from 
some of the branches of trade, they are without exception run 
at an expense; but this is not allowed to stand in the way of 
the best interests of the pupils; the provision made for in- 
struction in each branch is in all cases first-class, the trades being 
carried on in the same way, and viewed in the same light as the 
literary and musical departments. We consider the industrial 
department of equal importance, almost if not quite, as the 
educational department. 

The average deaf-mute or blind person, who has no trade to 
rely upon, is almost certain to make a failure in life. Many 
such, who could never hope to command more than from eight 
to fifteen dollars per month, as common laborers, with their 
trades learned in school often make that much per week. 

All letters and packages should be directed in care of the 
"Institution for the Deaf," or the "Academy for the Blind," or 
"School for Negro Deaf and Blind," Talladega, Ala. 



ALABAMA STATE OFFICERS, 



THOS. G. JONES, 
Governor. 

J. D. B.IRRON, 
Secretary of State. 

JOHN PURIFOY, 

Auditor. 

J. CRAIG SMITH, 

Treasurer. 

W. L. MARTIN, 
Attorney-General. 

J. G. HARRIS, 
Superintendent of Education. 

GEORGE W. STONE, 
Chief Justice Supreme Court. 

THOS. N. McCLELLAN, 

Associate Justice Supreme Court. 

THOS. W. COLEMAN, 
Associate Justice Supreme Court. 

J. B. HEAD, 
Associate Justice Supreme Court. 

JON. HARALSON, 
Associate Justice Supreme Court. 

Organization of Department of Agriculture and Immigration. 

HECTOR D. LANE, 
Commissioner. 

L. A. SMITH, 

Chief Clerk. 

MAJ. T. J. KEY, 
Assistant Clerk. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 297 



CONSTITUTION 

OF THE 

STATE OF ALABAMA. 



PEEAMBLE. 

We, the people of the State of Alabama, in order to establish justice, insure 
domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general 
welfare and secure to ourselves and to our posterity, life, liberty, and prop- 
erty, profundly grateful to Almighty God for this inestimable right and in- 
voking His favor and guidance, do ordain and establish the following Consti- 
tution and form of government for the State of Alabama : 

ARTICLE I. 

DECLARATION OF RIGHTS. 

That the great, general and essential principles of liberty and free govern- 
ment may be recognized and established, we declare 

1. That all men are equally free and independent; that they are endowed 
by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; tbat among these are life, 
liberty and the pursuits of happiness. 

2. That all persons resident in this State, born in the United States, or 
naturalized, or who shall have legally declared their intention to become citi- 
zens of the United States, are hereby declared citizens of the State of Ala- 
bama, possessing equal civil and political rights. 

3. That all political power is inherent in the people, and all free govern- 
ments are founded in their authority, and instituted for their benefit; and 
that, therefore, they have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to 
change their form of government, in such manner as they may deem expe- 
dient. 

4. That no religion shall be established by law ;''that no preference shall 
be given by law to any religious sect, society, denomination, or mode of 
worship; that no one shall be compelled by law to attend any place of 
worship, nor to pay any tithes, taxes or other rate for the building or repair- 
ing any place of worship, or for maintaining any rpinister or ministry ; that no 
religious test shall be required as a qualification to any oflSce or public trust, 
under this State; and that the civil rights, privileges and capacities of any 
citizens shall not be in any manner aftected by his religious principles. 

13 



298 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



5. That any citizen may speak, write, and publish his sentiments on all 
subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that liberty. 

6. That the people shall be secure in their persons, homes, papers, and 
possessions, from unreasonable seizures or searches, and that no warrant 
shall issue to search any place, or to seize any person or thing without proba- 
ble cause, supported by oath or affirmation. 

7. That in all criminal prosecutions, the accused has a right to be heard 
by himself and counsel, or either ; to demand the nature and cause of the 
accusation ;"to have a copy thereof ; to be confronted by the witnesses against 
him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor; and in 
all prosecutions by indictment a speedy, public trial, by an impartial jury of 
the county or district in which the offense was committed ; and that he shall 
not be compelled to give evidence against himself, nor be deprived of life, 
liberty, or property, but by due process of law. 

8. That no person shall be accused, or arrested, or detained, except in 
cases ascertained by law, and according to the forms which the same has pi'e- 
scribed; and no person shall be punished, bvU by virtue of a law established 
and promulgated prior to the offense, and legally applied. 

9. That no person shall, for any indictable offense, be proceeded against 
criminally, by information ; except in cases arising in the malitia and volun- 
teer forces when in actual service, or, by leave of the court, for misfeasance, 
misdemeanor, extortion and oppression in office, otherwise than is provided 
in this Constitution; Provided, That in case of petit larceny, assault, assault 
and battery, affray, unlawful assemblies, vagrancy, and other misdemeanors, 
the General Assembly may, by law, dispense with a grand jury, and author- 
ize such prosecutions and proceedings before justices of the peace, or such 
other inferior courts as may be by law established. 

10. That no person shall, for the same offense, be twice put in jeopard}' of 
life or limb. 

11. That no person shall be barred from prosecuting or defending, before 
any tribunal in this State, by himself or counsel, any civil cause to which he 
is a party. 

12. That the right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate. 

13. That in prosecutions for the publications of papers investigating the 
official conduct of officers or men in public capacity, or when the matter 
published is proper for public infoimation, the truth thereof may be given 
in evidence; and that in all indictments for libel, the jury shall have the 
right to determine the law and the facts, under the direction of the court. 

14. That all courts shall be open ; and that every person, for any injury 
done him, in his lands, goods, person or reputation, shall have a remedy by 
due prooess of law ; and right and justice shall be administered without 
sale, denial, or delay. 

15. That the rotate of Alabama shall never be made a defendant in any 
court of law or equity. 

16. That excessive fines shall not be imposed, nor cruel or unusual pun. 
ishments inflicted. 

17. That all persons shall, before conviction, be bailable by sureties, ex- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 299 



cept for capital offenses, when the proof is evident, or the presumption great; 
and that excessive bail shall not, in any case, be required. 

18. That the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended 
by the authorities of this State. 

19. That treason against the State shall consist only in levying war against 
it, or adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort ; and that no per- 
son shall be convicted of treason, except on the testimony of two witnesses 
to the same overt act, or his confession in open court. 

20. That no person shall be attainted of treason by the General Assembly; 
and that no conviction shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture of estate. 

21. That no person shall be imprisoned for del)t. 

22. That no power of suspending laws shall be exercised, except by the 
General Assembly. 

23. That no exjjost facto law, or any law, impairing the obligation of con- 
tracts, or making any irrevocable grants of special privileges, or immunities, 
shall be passed by the General Assembly. 

24. That the exercise of the right of eminent domain shall never be 
abridged nor so construed as to prevent the General Assembly froni taking 
the property and franchises of incorporated companies, and suVjjecting them 
to public use the same as individuals. But private property shall not be taken 
or applied for public use, unless just compensation be first made therefor; 
nor shall private property be taken for private use, or the use of corporations, 
other than municipal, without the consent of the owner; Provided, however, 
that the General Assembly may, by law, secure to persons or corporations 
the right-of-way over the lands of other persons or corporations, and by gen- 
eral laws provide for and regulate the exercise by persons and corporations 
of the rights herein reserved, but just compensation shall in all cases, be first 
made to the owner; and, provided, that the right of eminent domain shall not 
be so construed as to allow taxation or forced subscriptions for the benefit of 
railroads or any other kind of corporations, other than municipal, or for the 
benefit of any individual or association. 

25. That all navigable waters shall remain forever public highways, free 
to the citizens of the State, and of the United States, without tax, impost or 
toll ; and that no tax, toll, impostor wharfage, shall be demanded or received 
from the owner of any merchandise or commodity, for the use of the shores, 
or any wharf erected in the shores, or in or over the waters of any navigable 
stream, unless the same be expressly authorized by law. 

26. That the citizens have a right, in a peaceable manner, to assemble 
together for the common good, and to apply to those invested with the power 
of government for redress of grievances, or other purposes by petition, address 
or remonstrance. 

27. That every citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and 
State. 

28. That no standing army shall be kept up without the consent of the 
General Assembly, and in that case no appropriation for its support shall be 
made for a longer tprm than one year; and the military shall, in all cases and 
at all times, be in strict subordination to tl.e civil power. 

2\). Tiiat no soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house 



300 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war but in a manner to be 
prescribed by law. 

30. That no title of nobility or hereditary distinction, privilege, honor or 
emohiment shall ever be granted or conferred in this State ; and that no office 
shall be created the appointment to which shall be for a longer time than 
during good behavior. 

31. That immigration shall be encouraged ; emmigration shall not be pro- 
hibited, and that no citizen shall be exiled. 

32. That temporary absence from the State shall not cause a forfeiture of 
residence once obtained. 

33. That no form of slavery shall exist in this State ; and there shall be 
no involuntary servitude, otherwise than for the punishment of crime, of 
which the party shall have been duly convicted. 

34. The right of suffrage shall be protected by laws regulating elections, 
and prohibiting, under adequate penalties, all undue influences from power, 
bribery, tumult, or other improper conduct. 

35. The people of this State accept as final the established fact, that from 
the Federal Union there can be no secession of any State. 

36. Foreigners, who are or may hereafter become bona fide residents of 
this State shall enjoy the same rights in respect to the possession, enjoyment 
and inheritance of property, as native born citizens. 

37. That the sole object and only legitimate end of government is to pro- 
tect the citizen in the enjoyment of life, liberty and property, and when the 
government assumes other functions, it is usurpation and oppression. 

38. No educational or property qualification for suffrage or office, not any 
restraint upon the same on account of race, color, or previous condition of 
servitude, shall be made by law. 

39 That this enumeration of certain rights shall not impair or deny others 
retained by the people. 

ARTICLE II. 

STATE AND COUNTY BOUNDARIES. 

1. The boundaries of this State are established and declared to be as fol- 
lows ; that is to say : Beginning at the point where the thirty-first degree 
of north latitude crosses the Perdido River, thence east to the western 
boundary line of the State of Georgia ; thence along said line to the southern 
boundary line of the State of Tennessee ; crossing the Tennessee River, and 
on to the second intersection of said river by said line; thence up said river 
to the mouth of Big Bear creek ; thence by a direct line to the northwest 
corner of Washington county, in this State, as originally formed ; thence 
southerly along the line of the State of Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico ; 
thence eastwardly, including all islands within six leagues of the shore, to 
the Perdido River; thence up the said river to the beginning. 

2. The boundaries of the several counties of this State, as heretofore es- 
tablished by law, are hereby ratified and confirmed. The General Assembly 
may, by a vote of two-thirds of both houses thereof, arrange and designate 
boundaries for the several counties of this State, which boundaries shall not 
be altered, except by a like vote ; but no new counties shall be hereafter 
formed of less extent than six hundred square miles, and no existing county 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 301 



shall be reduced to less extent than six hundred square miles ; and no new 
county shall be formed which does not contain a sufficient number of inhabi- 
tants to entitle it to one representative, under the ratio of representation 
existing at the time of its formation, and leave the county or counties from 
which it is taken with the required numl)er of inhabitants entitling such 
county or counties to separate representation. 

ARTICLE III. 

DISTRIBUTION OF POWERS OF GOVERNMENT. 

1. The powers of the government of the State of Alabama shall be divided 
into three distinct departments, each of which shall be confided to a sepa- 
rate body of magistracy, to-wit : Those which are legislative to one ; those 
"which are executive to another; and those which are judicial, to another. 

2. No person, or collection of persons, being of one of those departments, 
shall exercise any power properly belonging to either of the others, except 
in the instances hereinafter expressly directed or permitted. 

ARTICLE IV. 

LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT. 

1. The legislative power of this State shall be vested in a General Assem- 
bly, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. 

2. The style of the laws of this State shall be : "Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of Alabama.'' Each law shall contain but one subject, 
which shall be clearly expressed in its title, except general appropriation 
bills, general revenue bills, and bills adopting a code, digest or revision of 
statutes; and no law shall be revived, amended, or the provisions thereof ex- 
tended or conferred, by reference to its title only; but so much thereof as is 
revised, amended, extended or conferred, shall be re-enacted and published 
at length. 

3. Senators and Representatives shall be elected by the (qualified electors 
on the first Monday in August, eighteen hundred and seventy-six, and one 
half of the Senators and all of the Representatives shall be elected every two 
years thereafter, unless the General Assembly shall change the time of hold- 
ing elections. The terms of the office of the Senators shall be four years, 
and that of the Representatives two years, commencing on the day after the 
general election, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution. 

4. Senators shall be at least twenty-seven years of age, and Repre- 
resentatives twenty-one years of age ; they shall have been citizens and in- 
habitants of this State for three years, and inhabitants of their respective 
counties or districts one year next before their election, if such county or dis- 
trict shall have been so long established, but if not, then of the county or 
district from which the same shall have been taken ; and they shall reside in 
their respective counties or districts during their terms of service. 

5. The General Assembly shall meet biennially, at the capitol, in the 
Senate Chamber and in the Hall of the House of Representatives, (except in 
cases of destruction of the capitol, or epidemics, when the Governor may 
convene them at such place in the State as he may deem best), on the day 
specified in this Constitution, or on such other day as may be prescribed by 
law, and shall not remain in session longer than sixty days at the first ses- 



302 ALABAMA AS IT 18. 



sion held under this Constitution, nor longer than fifty days at any subse- 
quent session. 

6. The pay of the members of the General Assembly shall be four dollars 
per day, and ten cents per mile in going to and returning from the seat of 
government, to be computed by the nearest usual route travelled. 

7. The General Assemblj' shall consist of not more than thirty-three Sen- 
ators, and not more than one hundred members of the House of Representa- 
tives, to be apportioned among the several districts and counties as prescri- 
bed in this Constitution. 

8. The Senate, at the beginning of each regular session, and at such other 
times as may be necessary, shall elect one of its members President thereof, 
and the House of Representatives, at the beginning of each regular session, 
shall elect one of its members as Speaker, and the President of the Senate 
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall hold their offices, 
respectively, until their successors are elected and qualified. Each House 
shall choose its own officers, and shall judge of the election returns and 
qualifications of its members. 

9. At the general election, in the year eighteen hundred and seventy-six, 
Senators shall be elected in the even-numbered districts, to serve for two 
years, and in the odd-numbered districts to serve for four years, so that here- 
after one-half the Senators may be chosen biennially. Members of the 
House of Repressntatives shall be elected at the general election every sec- 
ond year. The time of service of Senators and Representatives shall begin 
on the day after the election, except the terms of those elected in the year 
eighteen hundred and seventy-six, which shall not begin until the terms of 
the present members shall have expired. Whenever a vacancy shall occur 
in either House, the Governor for the time being shall issue a writ of election 
to fill such vacancy for the remainder of the term. 

10. A majority of each House shall constitute a quorum to do business, 
but a smaller number may adjourn, from day to day, and may compel the 
attendai ce of absent members, in such manner and under such penalties, 
as each House may piovide. 

11. Each House shall have power to determine the rules of its proceed- 
ings, and to punish its members, or other persons, for contempt or disorderly 
behavior in its present, to enforce obedience to its process, to protect its 
members against violence, or offers of bribes or corrupt solicitation, and 
with the concurrence of two-thirds of either House to expel a member, but 
not a second time for the same cause, and shall have all the powers necessa- 
ry for the Legislature of a free State. 

12. A member of either House expelled for corruption shall not there- 
after be eligible to either House, and punishment for contempt or disorderly 
behavior shall not bar an indictment for the same oftense. 

13. Each House shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and cause the 
same to be published immediately after its adjournment, excepting such 
parts as, in its judgment may require secrecy ; and the yeas and nays of the 
members of either House, on any question shall, at the desire of one-tenth 
of the members present, be entered on the journals. Any member of either 
House shall have liberty to dissent from or protest against any act or resolu- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 303 



tion which he may think injurious to the public'or'an individual, and have 
the reasons for his dissent entered in the journals. 

14. Members of the General Assembly shall, in all cases except treason, 
felony, violation of their oath of office and breach of the peace, be privileged 
from'arrest during their attendance at the sessions of their respective Houses, 
and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate 
in either House they shall not be questioned in any other place. 

15. The doors of each House shall be open, except on such occasions as, 
in the opinion of the house, may require secrecy. 

16. Neither house shall, without the consent of Ihe^other, adjourn for more 
than three days, nor to any other place than that in which they may be 
sitting. 

17. No Senator or Representative shall, during the term for which he shall 
have been elected, be appointed to any civil office of profit under tliis State, 
which shall have been created, or the emoluments of which shall have been 
increased during such term, except such offices as'may bejfilled by election 
by the people. 

18. No person hereafter convicted of embezzlement of the public money, 
bribery, purjery, or other infamous crime, shall be eligible to the General 
Assembly, or capable of holding any office of trust or profit in this State. 

19. No law shall be passed except by bill, and no bill shall be so altered 
or amended on its passage through either house as to change its original pur- 
pose. 

20. No bill shall become a law until it shall have been referred to a com- 
mittee of each house and returned therefrom. 

21. Every bill shall be read on three different days in each house, and no 
bill shall become a law unless on its final passage it be; read at length, and 
the vote be taken by ayes and nays, tlie names of the members voting for and 
against the same be entered on the journals, and a majority of leach house be 
recorded thereon as voting in its favor, except as otherwise , provided in this 
Constitution. 

22. No amendments to bills by one house shall be concurred in by the 
other, except by a vote of the majority thereof, taken by yeas and nays, and 
the names ot those voting for and against recorded upon the journals ; and re- 
ports of committees of conference shall in likejmanner be adopted in each 
house. 

23. No special or local law shall be enacted for the benefit of.individuals 
or corporations in cases which are or can be provided for by a general law, 
or where the relief nought can be given by any court of this Stale ; nor shall 
the operation of any general law be suspended by the General Assembly for 
the benefit of any individual, corporation or as.sociation. 

24. No local or special law shall be passed, on a subject^which can not be 
provided for by a general law, nnless notice of the intention t(/ apply there- 
for shall have been published in the locality where the matter or things to 
be affected may be situated, which notice shall be at least twenty days prior 
to the introduction into the General Assembly of such bill, and^the evidence 
of such notice having been given, shdli be exhibited to the General Assem- 
bly, before such bill shall be passed ; Prorided, iha.1 the provisions of this 
Constitution, as to special or local laws, shall not apply to public or educa- 



304 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



tional institutions of or in this State, nor to industrial, mining, immigration 
or nianufai'turing corporations or interests, or corporations for constructing 
canals, or iniprovini; navigable rivers or harbors of this State. 

25. riie General Assembly shall pass general laws, under which local and 
private interests shall be provided for and protected. 

26. The General Assembly shall have no power to authorize lotteries or 
gift enterprises for any purpose, and shall pass laws to prohibit the sale of 
lottery or gift enterprise tickets, or tickets in any scheme in the nature of a 
lottery, in this Slate; and all acts, or parts of acts, heretofore passed by the 
General Assembly of this State, authorizing a lottery or lotteries, and all acts 
amendatory thereof, or supplemental thereto, are hereby avoided. 

27. The presiding oiru-er of each house shall, in the presence of the house 
over which he presides, sign 'all bills and joint resolutions passed by the 
General Assembly, after the titles have been publicly read immediately before 
signing, and the fact of signing shall be entered on the journal. 

28. The General Assembly shall prescribe by law the number, duties and 
compensation of the officers and employees of each House; and no payment 
shall be made from the State Treasury , or be in any way authorized to any 
person, except to an acting officer or employe, elected or appointed in pur- 
suance of law. 

29. No bill shall be passed giving any extra compensation to any public 
officer, servant or employe, agent or contractor, after the services shall 
have been (rendered, or contract made; nor shall any othcer of the State 
bind the State'to the payment of any sum of money but by authority of law. 

30. All stationery, printing, paper and fuel used in the legislative and 
other departu)ents of government, shall be furnished, and the printing, 
binding and distribution of laws, journals, department reports, and all 
other printing and binding, and repairing and furnishing the halls and 
rooms used foi the meetings of the General Assembly and its committees, 
shall be performed under contract, to be triven to the lowest responsible 
bidder below a maximum price, and under such regulations as shall be pre- 
scribed by law; no member or officer of any department of the government 
shall be in any way interested in such contracts, and all such contracts shall 
be subject to the approval of the Governor, State Auditor and State 
Treasurer. 

31. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Represen- 
tatives ; but'thf Senate may propose amendments, as in other bills. 

32. The^General Appropriation Bill shall embrace nothing but appropria- 
tions for the ordinary expenses of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial 
departments of the State, interest on the public debt, and for the public 
schools; all other appropiiations shall be made by separate bills, each em- 
bracing but one subject. 

33. No money shall be paid out of the Treasury except upon appropria- 
tions made'.by law, and on warrant drawn by the proper officer in pursuance 
thereof: and[a regular statenient and account of receipts and expenditures of 
all public moneys shall be published annually, in such manner as may, be by 
law directed. 

34. No appropriation"shall be made to any charitable or educational insti- 
tution not under the absolute control of the State, other than Normal schools. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 305 



established by law for the professional training of teachers for the public 
schools of the State, except by a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected 
to each House. 

35. No act of the General Assembly shall authorize the investment of any 
trust fund by executors, administrators, <i;uardiaiis, and other trustees, in the 
bonds or stock of any private corporation; and any sucli acts now existing 
are avoided, saving investments heretofore ma<le. 

36. The power to change the venue, in civil and criminal causes, is vested 
in the courts, to be exercised in such manner as shall be provided by law. 

37. When the General Assembly shall be convened in special session, 
there shall be no legislation upon subjects other than those designated in the 
proclamation of the Governor calling such sessions. 

38. No State office shall be continued or created for the inspection or 
measuring of any merchandise, manufacture or commodity ; but any county 
or municipality may appoint such officers, when authorized by law. 

39. No act of the General Assembly changing the seat of government of 
the State shall become a law until the same shall have been subnntted to the 
qualified electors of the State at a general election, and approved by a major- 
ity of such electors of the State at a general election, and approved by a 
majority of such electors voting on the same, and such act shall specify the 
proposed new location. 

40. A member of the General Assembly who shall corruptly solicit, de- 
mand or receive, or consent to receive, directly or indirectly, for himself, or 
for another, from any company, corporation or person, any money, office, 
appointment, employment, reward, thing of value or enjoyment, or of per- 
sonal advantage or promise thereof, for his vote or official influence, or for 
withholding the same, or with an understanding, expressed or implied, that 
his vote or official action shall be in any way influenced thereby, or who shall 
solicit or demand any such money or other advantages, matter or thing 
aforesaid for another, as the consideration of his vote or official influence, or 
for withholding the same, or shall give or withhold his vote or influence in 
consideration of the payment or promise of suchnioney, advantage, matter 
or thing to another, shall be guilty of bribery within the meaning of this 
Constitution, and shall incur the disabilities provided for such oflense, and 
such additional punishment as is, or shall be provided by law. 

41. Any member who shall, directly or indirectly, oflFer, give or promise 
any money or thing of value, testimonial, privilege or personal advantage to 
any executive or judicial officer, or member of the General Assembly, to in- 
fluence hin. in the performance of any of his public or official duties, shall 
be guilty of briVjery and be punished in such manner as shall be provided by 
law. 

42. The off"ense of corrupt solicitation of members of the General Assem- 
bly, or of public officers of this State, or of any municipal division thereof, 
and any occupation or practice of solicitation of such member, or oflicers, to 
influence their official action, shall be defined by law, and shall be punished 
by fine and imprisonment. 

43. A member of the General Assembly, who has a personal or private 
interest in any measure or bill, proposed or pending before the General As- 



306 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



sembly, shall disclose the fact to the House of which he is a member, and 
shall not vote therecn. 

44. In all elections by the General Assembly, the members shall vote viva 
voce, and the votes shall be entered on the journals. 

45. It shall be the duty of the General Assembly to pass such laws as may 
be necessary and proper to decide differences by arbitrators, to be appointed 
by the parties who may choose that mode of adjustment 

46. It shall be the duty of the General Assembly, at its first session after 
the ratification of this Constitution, and within every subsequent period of 
ten years, to make provision by law for the revision, digesting, and promul- 
gating of the public statutes of the State of a general nature, both civil and 
criminal. 

47. The General Assembly shall pass such penal laws as they may deem 
expedient to suppress the evil practice of duelling. 

48. It shall be the duty of the General Assembly to regulate by law the 
cases in which deductions shall be made from the salaries of public officers, 
for neglect of duty in their official capacities, and the amount of such de- 
ductions. 

49. It shall be the duty of the General Assembly to require the several 
counties of this State to make adequate provision for the maintenance of the 
poor. 

50. The General Assembly shall not have power to authorize any munici- 
pal corporation to pass any laws inconsistent with the general laws of this 
State. 

51. In the event of annexation of any foreign territory to this State, the 
General Assembly shall enact laws extending to the inhabitants of the ac- 
quired territory all the rights and privileges which may be required by the 
terms of the acquisition, anything in this Constitution to the contrary not- 
withstanding, 

52. The General Assembly shall not tax the property, real or personal, of 
the State, counties, and other municipal corporations, or cemetaries ; nor 
lots in incorporated cities or towns, or within one mile of any city or town, 
to the extent of one acre, nor lots one mile or more distant from such cities 
or towns, to the extent of five acres, with the building thereon, when the 
same are used exclusively for religious worship, fur schools, or for purposes 
purely charitable ; nor such property, real or personal, to an extent not ex- 
ceeding twenty-five thousand dollars in value, as maybe used exclusively for 
agricultural or horticultural associations of a public character. 

53. The General Assembly shall by law prescribe such rules and regula- 
tions as may be necessary to ascertain the value of personal and real prop- 
erty exempted from sale under legal process by this Constitution, and to se- 
cure the same to the claimant thereof selected. 

54. The State shall not engage in works of internal improvement, nor 
lend money or its credit in aid of such ; nor shall the State be interested in 
any private or corporate enterprise, or lend money, or its credit to any indi- 
vidual, association or corporation. 

55. The General Assembly shall have no power to authorize any county, 
city, town, or other subdivision of this , State, to lend its credit, or to grant 
public money or thing of value in aid of, or to any individual, association 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 307 



or corporation whatever, or to become a stockholder in any such corporation, 
association or company, by issuing bonds or otherwise. 

56. There can be no law of this State impairing the obligation of contracts 
by destroying or impairing the remedy for their enforcement; and the Gen- 
eral Assembly shall have no power to revive any right or remedy which may 
have become barred by lapse of time or by any statute of this State. 

ARTICLE V. 

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. 

1. The Executive Department shall consist of a Governor, Secretaiy of 
State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, Attorney General, and Superintend- 
ant of Education, and a Sheriff for eacli county. 

2. The supreme executive power of this State shall be vested in a Chief 
Magistrate, who sliall be styled "The Governor of the State of Alabama." 

3. The Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, and 
Attorney General, shall be elected by the qualified electors of this State, 
at the same time and places appointed for the election of members of the 
General Assembly. 

4. The returns of every election for Governor, Secretary of State, State 
Auditor, State Treasurer, and Attorney General, shall be sealed up and 
transmitted by the returning officers to the seat of government, directed to 
the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall, during the first 
week of the session to which said returns shall be made, open and publish 
them in the presence of both houses of the General Assembly in joint con- 
vention. The persons having the highest number of votes for either of 
said offices shall be declared duly elected ; but, if two or more shall have 
an equal and the highest number of votes for the same office, the General 
Assembly, by joint vote, without delay, sliall choose one of said persons for 
said office. Contested elections for Governor, Secretary of State, State 
Auditor, State Treasurer, and Attorney General, shall be determined by 
botti houses of the General Assembly, in such manner as may be prescribed 
by law. 

5. The Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, and 
Attorney General, shall hold their respective offices for the term of two 
years from the time of their installation in office, and until their successors 
shall be elected and qualified. 

6. The Governor ^hall be at least thirty years of age when elected, and 
shall have been a citizen of the United States ten years, and a resident cit- 
izen of this State at least s( ven years next before the day of his election, 

7. The Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, and 
Attorney General, shall reside at the seat of government of this State du- 
ring the time they continue in office, except in cases of epidemics; and they 
shall receive compensation for their services, which shall be fixed by law, 
and which shall not be increased or diminished during the term for which 
they shall have been elected. 

8. The Governor shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed. 

9. The Governor may require information in writing under oath, from 
the officers of the Executive Department on any subject relating to the duties 
of their respective offices; and may at any time require information in wri- 



308 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



ting, under oath, from all officers and managers of State institutions, upon 
any subject relating to the condition, management and expenses of their 
respective offices and institutions ; and any such officer or manager who 
makes a false report shall be guilty of perjury and punished accordingly. 

10 The Governor may, by proclamation, on extraordinary occasions, con- 
vene the General Assembly at the seat of government, or at a different place 
if, since their last adjournment, that shall have become dangerous from an 
enemy, or from infectious or contagious diseases; and he shall state specifi- 
cally in such proclamation each matter concerning which the action of that 
body is deemed necessary. 

11. The Governor shall, from time to time, give to the General Assembly 
information of the state of the government, and recommend to their consid- 
eration such measures as he may deem expedient ; and at the commence- 
ment of each session of the General Assembly, and at the close of his term 
of office, give information, by written message, of the condition of the State; 
and he shall account to the General Assembly, as may be prescribed by law, 
for all moneys received and paid out by him from any funds subject to his 
order, with the vouchers therefor; and he shall, at the commenceiient of 
each regular session, present to the General Assembly estimates ot the 
amount of money required to be raised by taxation for all purposes. 

12. The Governor shall have power to remit fines and forfeitures, under 
such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by law, and after conviction, 
to grant reprieves, commutation of sentence, and pardons ( except in cases 
of treason and impeachment ) ; but pardons in cases of murder, arson, bur- 
glary, rape, assault with attempt to commit lape, perjury, forgery, bribery, 
and larceny, i-hall not lelieve from civil and political disability unless specifi- 
cally expressed in the pardon. Upon conviction of treason, the Governor 
may suspend the execution of the sentence, and rejiort the same to the Gen- 
eral Assembly at the next regular session, when the General Assembly shall 
either pardon, commute the sentence, direct its execution, or grant further 
reprieve. He shall communicate to the General Assembly at every regular 
session, each case of reprieve, commutation or pardon granted, with his 
reasons therefor ; stating the name and crime of the convict, the sentence, 
its date and the date of reprieve, commutation or pardon. 

13. Every bill which shall have passed both Houses of the General As- 
sembly shall be presented to the Governor; if he approve, he shall sign it, 
but if not, he shall return it with his objections, to that House in which it 
shall have originated, who shall enter the objections at large upon the jour- 
nals, and the House to which such bill shall be returned shall proceed to 
reconsider it ; if, after such reconsideration a majority of the whole number 
elected to that House shall vote for the passage of such bill, it shall be sent, 
with the objections to the other House, by which it shall likewise be recon- 
sidered ; if approved by a majority of the whole number elected to that 
House, it shall become a law; but, in such cases, the votes of both Houses 
shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the members voting 
for or against the bill shall be entered upon the journals of each House re- 
spectively. If any bill shall not be returned by the Governor within five 
days, Sundays excepted, after it shall have been presented to him, the same 
shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the General As- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 309 



serably by their adjournment, prevent its return, in which case it shall not 
be a law. And every order, vote or resolution to which the concurrence of 
both Houses may be necessary (except questions of adjournment and of bring- 
ing on elections for the two House-^, and of amending this Constitution) shall 
be presente d to the Governor and before the same shall take effect be ap- 
proved by him, or being disapproved, shall be repassed by both Houses, ac- 
cording to the rules and limitations prescribed in the case of a bill. 

14. The Governor shall have power to disapprove of any item or items of 
any bill making appropriations of money, embracing distinct items, and the 
part, or parts, of the bill approved, shall be the law, and the item or items 
of appropriation disapproved shall be void, unless repassed according to the 
rules and limitations prescribed for the passage of other bills over the Exec- 
utive veto ; and he shall, in writing state specifically the item or items he 
disapproves. 

15. In case of the impeachment of the Governor, his removal from office, 
death, refusal to qualify, resignation, absence from the Slate, or other dis- 
ability , the President of the Senate shall exercise all the power and author- 
ity appertaining to the office of Governor, until the time appointed for the 
election of Governor shall arrive, or until the Governor who is absent, or im- 
peached, sliall retu rn or be acquitted, or other disability be removed ; and if 
during such vacancy in the office of Governor, the President of the Senate 
shall be impeached, removed from office, refuse to qualify, die, resign, be 
absent from the State, or be under any other disability, the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives shall, in like manner, administer the government- 
If the Governor shall be absent from the State over twenty days, the Secre- 
tary of State shall notify the President of the Senate, who shall enter upon 
th e duties of Governor ; and if the Governor and President of the Senate shall 
both be absent from the State over twenty days, the Secretary of State shall 
notify the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and in such case he 

shall enter upon and discharge the duties of Governor, until the return of the 
Governor or President of the Senate. 

16. The President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representa- 
tives shall, during the time they respectively administer the government, 

receive the same compensation which the Governor would have received if 
he h ad been employed in the duties of his office : Provided, That if the Gen- 
eral Assembly shall be in session during such absence, they, or either of 
them, shall receive no compensation as members of the General Assembly 
while acting as Governor. 

17. No person shall, at one and the same time, hold the office of Governor 
of th is State and any other office, civil or military, either under this State, 
the United States, or any other State or government, except as otherwise 
provided in this Constitution. 

18. The Governor shall be commander-in-chief of the militia and volun- 
teer forces of this State, except when they shall be called into the service of 
the United States, and he may call out the same to execute the laws, sup- 
press insurrection, and repel invasion, but he need not command in person, 
unless directed to do so by a resolution of the General Assembly ; and when 
acting in the service of the United States, he shall appoint his staff, and the 
Genenal Assembly shall fix his rank. 



310 ALABAMA A8 IT If, 



19. No person shall be eligible to the office of Secretary of State, State 
Treasurer. State Auditor, or Attorney General, unless he shall have been a 
citizen of the United States at least seven years, and shall have resided in 
this State at least five years next preceding his election, and shall be at 
least twenty-five years old when elected. 

20. There shall be a great seal of the State, which shall be used officially 
by the Governor; and the seal now in use shall continue to be used until 
another shall have been adopted by the General Assembly. The said seal 
shall be called the "Great Seal of the State of Alabama." 

21. The Secretary of State shall be the custodian of the seal of the State, 
and shall authenticate therewith all official acts of the Governor, his approval 
of laws and resolutions excepted. He shall keep a register of the official 
acts of the Governor, and when necessary shall attest them, and lay copies 
of the same together with copies of all papers relative thereto, before either 
House of the General Assembly, whenever required to do so, and shall per- 
form such other duties as may be prescribed by law. 

22. All grants and commissions shall be issued in the name, and by the 
authority of the State of Alabama, sealed with the great seal, and signed by 
the Governor, and countersigned by the Secretary of State. 

23. Should the office of Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Audi- 
tor, Attorney General, or Superintendent of Education, become vacant, for 
any of the causes specified in section fifteen of this article, the Governor 
shall fill the vacancy, until the disability is removed, or a successor elected 
and qualified. 

24. The State Treasurer, State Auditor, and Attorney General shall per- 
form such duties as may be prescribed by law. The State Treasurer and 
State Auditor shall, every year, at a time the General Assembly may fix, 
make a full and complete report to the Governor, showing all receipts and 
disbursements of revenue, of every character, all claims audited and paid by 
the State, by items, and all taxes and revenue collected and paid into the 
treasury and from what sources ; and they shall make reports oftener in any 
matter pertaining to their office, if required by the Governor, or the General 
Assembly. 

25. The State Auditor, State Treasurer, and Secretary of State, shall not 
after the expiration of the terms of those now in office, receive to their 
use any fees, costs, perquisites of office, or compensation, other than their 
salaries as prescribed by law ; and all fees that may be payable by law, for 
any service performed by either of such officers, shall be paid in advance in- 
to the State Treasurer. 

26. A Sheriff shall be elected in each county, by the qualified electors 
thereof, who shall hold his office for the term of four years, unless sooner 
removed, and shall be ineligible to such office as his own successor ; Provided, 
That Sheriffs elected on the first Monday in August, eighteen hundred and 
seventy-seven, or at such other time as may be prescribed by law for the 
election in that year, shall hold their offices for the term of three years, and 
until their successors shall be elected and qualified. In the year 18S0, at the 
general election for members to ttie General Assembly, Sheriffs shall be 
elected for four years, as herein provided. Vacancies in the office of Sheriff 
shall be filled by the Governor, as in other cases ; and the person appointed 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 311 



shall continue in the office until the next general election in the county for 
Sheriff, as provided by law. 

ARTICLE VI. 

JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. 

1. The judicial power of the State shall be vested in the Senate, sitting as 
aCourt of Impeachment, a Supreme Court, Circuit Courts, Chancery Court, 
Courts of Probate, such Inferior Courts of law and equity, to consist of not 
more than five members, as the General Assembly may from time to time 
establish, and such persons as may be by law invested with powers of a ju- 
dicial nature. 

2. Except in cases otherwise directed in the Constitution, the Supreme 
Court shall have appellate jurisdiction only, which shall be co-extensive with 
the State, under such restrictions and regulations, not repugnant to this Con- 
stitution, as may be from time to time prescribed by law. Provided, That said 
Court shall have power to issue rights of injunction, habeas corpus, quo war- 
ranto, and such other remedial and original writs as may be necessary to give 
it a general superintendence and control of superior jurisdiction. 

. 3. The Supreme Court shall be held at the seat of government, but if 
that shall have become dangerous from any cause it may adjourn to a differ- 
ent place. 

4. The State shall be divided by the General Assembly into convenient 
circuits, not to exceed eight in number unless increased by a vote of two- 
thirds of the members of each House of the General A.'ssembly, and no cir- 
cuit shall contain less than three nor more than twelve counties ; and for 
each circuit there shall be chosen a Judge, who shall, for one year next pre- 
ceding his election and during his continuance in office, reside in the circuit 
for which he is elected. 

5. The Circuit Court shall have original jiarisdiction in all matters, civil 
and criminal, within the State, not otherwise excepted in the Constitution; 
but in civil cases only where the matter or sum in controversy exceeds fifty 
dollars. 

6. A Circuit Court shall be held in each county in the State at least twice 
in every year, and the Judges of the several circuits may hold courts for each 
other, when they deem it expedient, and shall do so when directed by law ; 
Provided, that the Judges of the several Circuit Courts shall have power to 
issue writs of injunction returnable into Courts of Cliancery. 

7. The General Assembly shall tiave power to establish a Court or Courts 
of Chancery, with original and appellate jurisdiction. The State shall be 
divided by the General Assembly into convenient cliancery divisions, not 
exceeding three in number, unless an increase shall be made by a vote of two 
thirds of each House of the General Assembly taken by yeas and nays and 
entered upon the journals ; and the division shall be divided into districts, 
and for each division there shall be a Chancellor, who shall, at the time of 
his election or appointment, and during his continuance in office, reside in 
the division for which he shall have been elected or appointed. 

8. A Chancery Court shall be held in each district, at a place to be fixed 
by law, at least once in each year, and the Chancellors may hold courts for 
each other, when they deem it necessary. 



312 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



9. The General Assembly shall have power to establish in each county 
within the State a Court of Probate, with general jurisdiction for the grant- 
ing of letters testamentary and of administration, and for orphans' business. 

10. The Judges of the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts, and Chancellors 
shall, at stated times, receive for their services a compensation, which shall 
not be diminished during their ottit;ial terms, but they shall receive no fees 
or perquisites, nor hold any office (except judicial offices) of profit or trust 
under this State or the United States, or any other power, during the term 
for which they have been elected, 

11. The Supreme Court shall consist of one Chief- Justice and such num- 
ber of Associate Justices as may be prescribed by law. 

12. The Chief-Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, 
Judges of the Circuit Courts, Probate Courts, and Chancellors, shall be 
elected by the qualified electors of the State, circuits, counties and chancery 
divisions for which such courts may be established, at such times as may 
be prescribed by law. 

13. Tiie Judges of such inferior courts of law and equity as may be by law 
established, shall be appointed in such mode as the General Assembly may 
prescribe. 

14. The Judges of the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts, Chancellors, and 
the Judges of the City Courts, shall have been citizens of the United States 
and of this State five years next preceding their election or appointment, and 
shall not be less than twenty-five years of age, and learned in the law. 

The Chief Justices and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, Circuit 
Judges, Chancellors and Probate Judges shall hold office for the term of 
six years and until their successors are elected or appointed and qualified; 
and the right of such judges and- chancellors to hold their office for the 
full time hereby prescribed, shall not be affected by any change hereafter- 
made by law in any circuit, division or county in the mode or time of elec- 
tion. 

16. The judges of the Supreme Court shall, by virtue of their offices, be 
conservators of the peace throughout the State ; the judges of the Circuit 
Courts within their respective circuits, and the judges of the Inferior Courts 
within their respective jurisdictions, shall in like manner be conservators of 
the peace. 

17. Vacancies in the office of any of the judges or chancellors of this 
State shall be filled by appointment by the Governor, and such appointee 
shall hold his office for the unexpired term and until his successor is elected 
or appointed and qualified. 

18. If in any case, civil or criminal, pending in any circuit, chancery or 
city court in this State, the presiding judge or chancellor shall, for any legal 
cause be incompetent to try, hear or render judgment in such cause, the 
parties or their attorney's of record, if it be a civil case, or the solicitor or 
other prosecuting officer, and the defendant or defendants, if it be a criminal 
case, may agree upon some disinterested person, practicing in the court and 
learned in the law, to act as special judge or chancellor, to sit as a court to 
hear, decide and render judgment in the same manner and to the same 
efi'ect as a judge of the Circuit or City Court, or chancellor, sitting as a court 
might do in such case. If the case be a civil one and the parties, or their 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 313 



attorneys of record do not ajrree, or if a case be a criminal one and the 
prosecuting officer and the defendant or defendants do not agree upon a 
special judge or chancellor, or if either party in a special cause is not repre- 
sented in court, the clerk of the Circuit or City Court, or Register in Chan- 
cery of the court in which said cause is pending, shall appoint the special 
judge or chancellor, who shall preside, try and render judgments as in this 
section provided. 

19. The General Assembly shall have power to provide for the holding 
of circuit and chancery courts in this State, when the judges or chancellors 
thereof fail to attend regular terms. 

20. No judge of any court of record in this State, shall practice law in any 
of the courts of this State or of the United States. 

21. Registers in chancery shall be appointed by the chancellors of the 
divisions, and shall hold office during the term of the chancellor making 
such appointment ; and such registers shall receive as compensation for their 

. services only such fees and commissions as may be specifically prescribed by 
law. 

22. A clerk of the Supreme Court shall be appointed by the judges thereof 
and shall hold office during the term of the judges making the appointment, 
and clerks of such inferior courts as may be established by law, shall he ap- 
pointed by the judges thereof, and shall hold office during the term of the 
judge making such appointment. 

23. Clerks of the Circuit Court shall be elected by the qualified electors in 
each county, for the term of six years. Vacancies in such office shall be 
filled by the Governor for the unexpired term. 

24. The clerk of the Supreme Court and Registers in Chancery may be 
removed from office by the judges of the Supreme Court and Chancellors 
respectively, for cause, to be entered at length upon the records of the court. 

25. A Solicitor for each judicial circuit shall be elected by joint ballot of 
the General Assembly, who shall be learned in the law, and who shall, at 
the time of his election, and during his continuance in office, reside in the 
circuit for which he is chosen, and whose term of office shall be for six j^ears ; 
Provided, That the General Assembly, at the first session thereof after the 
ratification of this Constitution shall, by joint ballot, elect a Solicitor for each 
judicial circuit of the State, whose term of office shall begin on Tuesday after 
the first Monday in November, 1876, and continue for four years; And provi- 
ded, That the General Assembly may, when necessary, provide for the elec- 
tion or appointment of county solicitors. 

26. There shall be elected by the qualified electors of each precinct of the 
counties, not exceeding two Justices of the Peace and one Constable. Such 
justices shall have jurisdiction in all civil cases wherein the amount in con- 
troversy does not exceed one hundred dollars, except in cases of libel, slan- 
der, assault and battery, and ejectment, 

In all cases tried before such justices, the right of appeal, w'ithont repay- 
ment of costs, shall be secured by law^ ; Provided, That the Governor may 
appoint one Notary Public for each election precinct in counties, and one for 
each ward in cities of over five thousand inhabitants, who, in addition to the 
powers of notary, shall have and exercise the same jurisdiction as justices of 
the peace within the precincts and wards for which they are respectively 



314 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



appointed ; And provided, That Notaries Public without such jurisdiction 
may be appointed. The term of office of such Justices and Notaries Public 
shall be prescribed by law. 

27. An Attorney-General shall be elected by the qualified electors of the 
State at the same time and places of election of noembers of the General As- 
sembly, whose term of office shall be for two years, and until his successor 
is elected and qualified. After his election he shall reside at the seat of gov- 
ernment, and shall be the law officer of the State, and shall perform such 
duties as may be required of him by law. 

28. The style of all process shall be "The State of Alabama," and all 
prosecutions shall be carried on in the name and by the authority of the 
same, and shall conclude "Against the peace and dignity of the State." 

ARTICLE VII. 

IMPEACHMENTS. 

1. The Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney-Gen- 
eral, Superintendent of Education and Judges of the Supreme Court, may be 
removed from office for willful neglect of duty, corruption in office, habitual 
drunkenness, incompetency, or any offense involving moral turpitude while 
in office, or committed under color thereof or coimected therewith, by the 
Senate, sitting as a court for that purpose, under oath or affirmation, on arti" 
cles or charges preferred by the House of Representatives. 

2. The Chancellors, Judges of the Circuit Courts, Judges of the Probate 
Courts, Solicitors of the Circuits and Judges of the Inferior Courts, from 
which an appeal may be taken directly to the Supreme Court, may be removed 
from office for any of the causes specified in the preceding section, by the 
Supreme Court, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law. 

3. The Sheriffs, Clerks of the Circuit, City or Criminal Courts, Tax Col- 
lectors, Tax Assessors, County Treasurers, Coroners, Justices of the Peace, 
Notaries Public, Constables, and all other county officers, Mayors and In" 
tendants of incorporated cities and towns in this State, may be removed from 
office for any of the causes specified in section one of this article, by the Cir- 
cuit, City or Criminal Court of the county in which such officers hold their 
office, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law ; Provided, That 
the right of trial by jury and appeal in such cases be secured. 

4. The penalties in cases arising under the three preceding sections shall 
not extend beyond removal from office, and disqualification from holding 
office under the authority of this State, for the term for which he was elected 
or appointed ; but the accused shall be liable to indictment and punishment 

as prescribed by law. 

ARTICLE VIII. 

SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS. 

1. Every male citizen of the United States, and every male person of for- 
eign birth who may have legally declared his intention to become a citizen 
of the United States before he offers to vote, who is twenty-one years old, or 
upwards, possessing the following qualifications, shall be an elector and shall 
be entitled to vote at any election by the people, except as hereinafter pro- 
vided : First. He shall have resided in the State at least one year immedi- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 315 



ately preceding the election at which he offers to vote. Second. He shall 
have resided in the county for three months, and in the precinct or ward for 
thirty days immediately preceding the election at which he offers to votef 
Provided, That the General Assembly may prescribe a longer or shorter resi- 
dence in any precinct in any county, or in any ward in any incorporated city 
or town having a population of more than five thousand inhabitants, but in 
no case to exceed three months; And, provided, That no soldier, sailor or 
marine, in the military or naval service of the United States shall acquire a 
residence by being stationed in this State. 

2. All elections by the people shall be by ballot, and all elections by per- 
sons in a representative capacity shall be viva voce. 

2. The following classes shall not be permitted to register, vote or hold 
office : First. Those who shall have been convicted of treason, embezzle- 
ment of public funds, malfeasance in office, larceny, bribery, or other crime, 
punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary. Second. Those who are 
idiots or insane. 

4. Electors shall in all cases, except treason, felony, or breach of the 
peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at elections, or while 
going to or returning therefrom. 

5. The General Assembly shall pass laws, not inconsistent with the Con- 
stitution, to regulate and govern elections in tljiis State, and all such laws 
shall be uniform throughout the State. The General Assembly may, when 
necessary, provide by law for the registration of electors throughout the 
State, or in any incorporated city or town thereof, and when it is so provided 
no person shall vote at any election unless he shall have registered, as re- 
quired by law. 

6. It shall be the duty of the General Assembly to pass adequate laws 
giving protection against the evils arising from the use of intoxicating liquors 
at all elections. 

7. Returns of elections for all civil officers who are to be commissioned 
by the Governor, except Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer 
and Attorney-General, and for the members of the General Assembly, shall 
be made to the Secretary of State. 

ARTICLE IX. 

REPRESENTATION. 

1. The whole number of Senators shall be not less than one-fourth, o'" 
more than one-third, of the whole number of representatives. 

2. The House of Representatives shall consist of not more than one hun- 
dred members, who shall be apportioned by the General Assembly among 
the several counties of the State, according to the number of inhabitants in 
them respectively, as ascertained by the decennial census of the United 
States for the year eighteen hundred and eighty ; which apportionment, 
when made, shall be subject to alteration until the first ses.sion of the Gen- 
eral Assembly after the next decennial census of the United States shall have 
been taken. 

3. It shall be the duty of the General Assembly, at its first session after 
the taking of the decennial census of the United States in the year eighteen 
hundred and eighty, and after each subsequent decennial census, to fix by 



316 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



law the number of Representatives and apportion them among the several 
counties of the 8tate; Provided, That each county shall be entitled to at least 
one Representative. 

4. It shall be the dufj' of the General Assembly at its first session after 
the taking of the decennial census of the United States in the year eighteen 
hundred and eighty, and after each subsequent decennial census, to fix by 
law the number of Senators and to divide the State into as many Senatorial 
Districts as there are Senators, which districts shall be as nearly equal to 
each other in the number of inhabitants as may be, and each shall be en- 
titled to one Senator and no more ; and which districts when formed, shall 
not be changed until the next apportioning session of the General Assembly 
after the next decennial census of the United States shall have been taken. 
No county shall be divided between two districts and no district shall be 
made of two or more counties not contiguous to each other. 

5. Should the decennial census of the United States, from any cause, not 
be taken, or if when taken, the same as to this State is not full and satis- 
factory, the General Assembly shall have power, at its first session after the 
time shall have elapsed for the taking of said census, to provide for an 
enumeration of all the inhabitants of this State, and once in each ten years 
thereafter upon which it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to make 
the appointment of Representatives and Senators as provided for in this 
article. 

6. Until the General Assembly shall make an apportionment of Repre- 
sentatives among the several counties, after the first decennial census of the 
United States, as herein provided, the counties of Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, 
Blount, Calhoun, Chilton, Cherokee, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, 
Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, DeKalb, El- 
more, Etowah, Escambia, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Henry, Lauderdale, 
Marion, Morgan, Monroe, Marshall, Randolph, Sanford, Shelby, StCLiir, 
Walker, Washington and Winston shall each have one Representative; the 
counties of Barbour, Bullock, jButler, Chambers, Greene, Hale, Jackson, 
Jefferson, Limestone, Lawrence, Lowndes, Lee, Macon, Marengo, Perry, 
Pickens, Pike, Russell, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuskaloosa, and Wil- 
cox shall have each two Representatives ; the county of Madison shall have 
three Representatives ; the counties of Dallas and Montgomery shall have 
each four Representatives. 

7. Until tlie General Assembly shall divide the State into senatorial dis- 
tricts, provided, the senatorial districts shall be as follows: 

First district, Lauderdale and Limestone; second district, Colbert and 
Lawrence; third district, Morgan, Winston and Blount; fourth district, 
Madison ; fifth district, Marshall, Jackson and DeKalb ; sixth district, Chero- 
kee, Etowah, and St. Clair; seventh district, Calhoun and Cleburne ; eighth 
district, Talladega and Clay ; ninth district, Randolph and Chambers; tenth 
district, Macon and Tallapoosa; eleventh district, Bibb and Tuskaloosa; 
twelfth district, Franklin, Marion, Fayette and Sanford; thirteenth district, 
Walker, Jefferson, and Shelby; fourteenth district, Greene and Pickens; 
fifteenth district, Coosa, Elmore and Chilton ; sixteenth district, Lowndes 
and Autauga; seventeenth district, Butler and Conecuh; eighteenth district, 
Perry; nineteenth district, Choctaw, Clarke and Washington; twentieth 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 317 



district, Marengo; twenty-first district, Monroe, Escambia and Baldwin; 
twenty-second district, Wilcox ; twenty-third district, Henry, Cofi"ee, Dale 
and Geneva ; twenty-fourth district, Barbour ; twenty-fifth district, Pike, 
Crenshaw, and Covington ; twenty-sixth district, Bullock ; twentj'-seventh 
district, Lee; twenty-eighth district, Montgomery; twenty-ninth district, 
Russell; thirtieth district, Dallas ; thirty-first district, Sumter ; thirty-second 
district, Hale; thirty-third district. Mobile. 

ARTICLE X. 

EXEMPTED PROPERTY. 

1. The personal property of any resident of this State* to the value of one 
thousand dollars, to be selected by such resident, shall be exempted from 
sale on execution, or other process of any court, issued for the collection of 
any debt contracted, since the thirteenth day of July, eighteen hundred and 
sixty-eight, or after the ratification of this Constitution. 

2. Every homestead, not exceeding eighty acres, and the dwelling and 
appurtenances thereon, to be selected by the owner thereof, and not in any 
city, town or village, with the dwelling and appurtenances thereon, owned 
and occupied by any resident of this state, and not exceeding the value of 
two thousand dollars, shall be exempted from sale, on execution or any other 
process from a court, for any debt contracted since the thirteenth of July, 
eighteen hundred and sixty-eight, or after the ratification of this Constitu- 
tion. Such exemption, however, shall not extend to any mortgage, lawfully 
obtained, but such mortgage or other alienation of such homestead, by the 
owner thereof, if a married man, shall not be valid without the voluntary sig- 
nature and assent of the wife to the same. 

3. The homestead of a family after the death of the owner thereof, shall 
be exempt from the payment of any debts contracted since the thirteenth 
day of July, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, or after the rati- 
fication of this Constitution, in all cases, during the minority of the children. 

4. The provisions of section one and two of this article shall not be so 
construed as to prevent a laborer's lien for work done and performed for 
the person claiming such exemption, or a mechanic's lien for work done on 
the premises. 

5. If the owner of a homestead die, leaving a widow, but no children, 
such homestead shall be exempt, and the rents and profits thereof shall in- 
ure to her benefit. 

6. The real or personal property of any female in this State, acquired 
before marriage, and all property, real and personal, to which she may after- 
wards be entitled by gift, grant, inheritance, or devise, shall be and remain 
the separate estate and property of such female, and shall not be liable for 
any debts, obligations, and engagements of her husband, and may be devised 
or bequeathed by her, the same as if she was a/emme sole. 

7. The right of exemptions hereinbefore secured, may be waived by an 
instrument in writing, and when such waiver relates to realty, the instru- 
ment must be signed by both the husband and the wife, and attested by one 
witness. 



318 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



ARTICLE XL 

TAXATION. 

1. All taxes levied on propertj' in this State, shall be assessed in exact 
proportion to the value of such property ; Provided, however, The General 
Assembly may levy a poll tax not to exceed one dollar and fifty cents on 
each poll which shall be applied exclusively in aid of the public school fund, 
in the county so paying the same. 

2. No power to levy taxes [shall be delegated to individuals or private 
corporations. 

3. After the ratification of this Constitution, no new debt shall be created 
against, or incurred, by this State or its authority, except to repel invasion, 
or suppress insurrection, and then only by a concurrence of two-thirds of 
the members of each house of the General Assembly, and the vote shall be 
taken by yeas and nays, and entered on the journals ; and any act creating 
or incurring any new debt against Ihis State, except as herein provided for, 
shall be absolutely void ; Provided; The Governor may be authorized to ne- 
gotiate temporary loans, never to exceed one hundred thousand dollars, to 
meet deficiencies in the treasury ; and until the same is paid, no new loan 
shall be negotiated ; Provided, further. That this section shall not be so con- 
strued as to prevent the issuance of bonds in adjustment of existing State 
indebtedness. 

4. The General Assembly shall not liave the power to levy, in any one 
year, a greater rate of taxation than three-fourths of one per centum on the 
value of the taxable property within this State. 

5. No county in this State shall be authorized to levy a larger rate of tax- 
ation, in any one year, on the value of the taxable property therein than one- 
half one per centum ; Provided, That to pay debts existing at the ratification 
of this Constitution, an additional rate of one-fourth of one per centum may 
be levied and collected, which shall be exclusively appropriated to the pay- 
ment of such debts, or the interest thereon ; Provided, further, That to any 
debt or liability now existing against any county, incurred for the erection 
of the necessary public buildings, or other ordinaiy county purposes, or that 
may hereafter be created for the erection of the necessary public buildings 
or bridges, any county may levy and collect such special taxes as may have 
been or may hereafter be anthorized by law, which taxes so levied and col- 
lected shall be applied exclusively to the purposes for which the same shall 
have been levied and collected. 

6. The property of private corporations, associations and individuals of 
this State, shall forever be taxed at the same rate ; Provided, This section 
shall not apply to institutions or enterprises devoted exclusively to religious, 
educational or charitable pu'-poses. 

7. No city, town or other municipal corporation, other than provided for 
in this article, shall levy or collect a larger rate of taxation, in any one year, 
on the property thereof, than one-half of one per centum of the value of 
such property, assessed for State taxation during the preceding year ; Pro- 
vided, That for the payment of debts existing at the time of the notification 
of this Constitnti<m, and the interests thereon, an additional rate of one per 
centum may be collected, to be applied exclusively to such indebtedness; 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 319 



And Provided, This section shall not appl)' to the city of Mobile, which city 
may, until the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and seventy- 
nine, levy a tax not to exceed the rate of one per centum, and from and 
after that time a tax not to exceed the rate of three- fourths of one per centum 
to pay the expenses of the city government, and may also, until the first day 
of January, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine, levy a tax not to 
exceed the rate of one per centum, and from and after that time, a tax not to 
exceed the rate of three-fourths of one per centum, to pay the existing in- 
debtedness of said city and the interest thereon. 

8. At the first session of the General Assembly after the ratification of this 
Constitution, the salaries of the following officers shall be reduced at least 
twenty-five per centum, viz: Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor. 
State Treasurer, Attorney-General, Superintendent of Education, Judges of 
the Supreme and Circuit Courts, and Chancellors ; and after said reduction 
the General Assembly shall not have the power to increase the same except 
by a vote of a majority of all the members elected to each House, taken by 
yeas and nays, and entered on the journals; Provided, this section shall not 
apply to any of said officers now in office. 

9. The General Assembly shall not have the power to require the counties 
or other municipal corporations to pay any charges which are now payable 
out of the State Treasury. 

ARTICLE XII. 

1. All able-bodied male inhabitants of this State, between the ages of 
eighteen years and forty-five years, who are citizens of the United States, or 
have declared their intention to become such citizens, shall be liable to mili- 
tary duty in the militia of the State. 

2. The General Assembly, in providing for the organization, equipment, 
and discipline of the militia, shall conform as nearly as practicable to the 
regulations for the government of the armies of the United States. 

3. Each company and regiment shall elect its own company and regi- 
mental officers ; but if any company or regiment shall neglect to elect such 
officers within the time prescribed by law, they may be appointed by the 
Governor. 

4. Volunteer organizations of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, may be 
formed in such manner, and under such restrictions, and with such privileges, 
as may be provided by law. 

5. The militia and volunteer forces shall, in all cases, except ti'eason, 
felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attend- 
ance at musters, parades, and elections, and in going to and returning from 
the same. 

6. The Governor, shall, except as otherwise provided herein, be com- 
mander-in-chief of the militia and volunteer forces of the State, except when 
in the service of the United States, and shall, with the advice and consent of 
the Senate, appoint all general officers, whose term of office shall be for four 
years. The Governor, the Generals and regimental and battalion com- 
manders, shall appoint their own staffs, as may be provided by law. 

7. The General Assembly shall provide for the safe keeping of the arms, 
ammunition and accoutrements, military records, banners and relics of the 
State. 



320 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



8. The officers and men of the militia and volunteer forces shall not be 
entitled to, or receive, any pay, rations or emoluments, when not in active 
service. 

ARTICLE XIII. 

EDUCATION. 

1. The General Assembly shall establish, organize and maintain a system 
of public schools throughout the State for the equal benefit of the children 
thereof, between the ages of seven and twenty-one years ; but separate 
schools shall be provided for the children of citizens of African descent. 

2. The principal of all funds arising from the sale or other disposition of 
lands or other property, which has been or may hereafter be granted or 
entrusted to this State, or given by the United States for educational pur- 
poses, shall be preserved inviolate and undiminished; and the income 
arising therefrom shall be faithfully applied to the specific objects of the 
original grants or appropriations. 

3. All lands or other property given by individuals, or appi-opriated by 
the State for educational purposes, and all estates of deceased persons, who 
die without leaving a will or heir, shall be faithfully applied to the mainten- 
ance of the public schools. 

4. The General Assembly shall also provide for the levying and collection 
of an annual poll tax, not to exceed one dollar and fifty cents on each poll, 
which shall be applied to the support of the public schools in the counties in 
which it is levied and collected. 

5. The income arising from the sixteenth section trust fund, the surplus 
revenue fund, until it is called for by the United States government, and the 
funds enumerated in sections three and four of this article, with such other 
moneys, to be not less than one hundred thousond dollars per annum, as the 
General Assembly shall provide by taxation or otherwise, shall be applied 
to the support and maintenance of the public schools, and it shall be the 
duty of the General Assembly to increase, from time to time, the public 
school fund, as the condition of the Treasury and the resources of the State 
will admit. 

6. Not more than four per cent, of all moneys raised, or which may here- 
after be appropriated for the support of public schools, shall be used or 
expended otherwise than for the payment of teachers, employed in such 
schools ; Provided, that the General Assembly may, by a vote of two-thirds 
of each house, suspend the operation of this section. 

7. The supervision of the public schools shall be vested in a Superintend- 
ent of Education, whose powers, duties, term of office and compensation 
shall be fixed by law. The Superintendent of Education shall be elected by 
the qualified voters of the State in such manner and at such time as shall be 
provided by law. 

8. No money raised for the support of the public schools of the State, 
shall be appropriated to or used for the support of any sectarian or denomi- 
national school. 

9. The State University and the Agricultural and Mechanical College 
shall each be under the management and control of a Board of Trustees. 
The Board for the University shall consist of two members from the con- 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 321 



gressional district in which the University is located, and one from each of 
the other conprressional districts in the State. The Board for the Agricultural 
and Mechanical College shall consist of two members from the congressional 
district in which the College is located, and one from each of the other con- 
gressional districts in the State. Said Trustees shall be appointed by the 
Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall hold 
office for a term of six years, and until their successors shall be appointed 
and qualified. After the first appointment each Board shall be divided into 
thiee classes, as nearly equal as may be. The seats of the first class shall be 
vacated at the expiration of two years, and those of the second class in four 
years, and tho-^.e of the third class at the end of six years from the date of 
appointment, so that one-third may be chosen biennially. No trustee shall 
receive any pay or emolument other than his actual expenses incurred in the 
discharge of his duties as such. The Governor shall be e.r-q^cto President 
and the Superintendent of Education ex-officio a member of each of said 
Boards of Trustees. 

10. The General Assembly shall have no power to change the location of 
the State University or the Agricultural and Mechanical College as now es- 
tablished by law, except upon a vote of two-thirds of the General Assembly, 
taken by yeas and nays and entered upon the journals. 

11. The provisions of this article and of any act of the General Assembly 
passed in pursuance thereof to establish, organize and maintain a system of 
public schools 1 hroughout the State, shall apply to Mobile county only so far 
as to authorize and require the authorities designated by law to draw the 
portion of the funds to which said county shall be entitled for school pur- 
poses, and to make reports to the Superintendent of Education as may be 
prescribed by law. And all special incomes and powers of taxation, as now 
authorized by law for the benefit of public schools in said county, shall re- 
main undisturbed until otherwise provided by the General Assembly ; Pro- 
vided, That separate schools for e.ieh race shall always be maintained by 
said school authorities. 

ARTICLE XIV. 

CORPORATIONS — PRIVATE C«RPORATIONS. 

1 . Corporations may be formed under general laws, but shall not be 
created by special act, except for municipal, manufacturing, mining, immi- 
gration, industrial and educational purposes, or for constructing canals, or 
improving navigable rivers and harbors of this State, and in cases, where in 
the judgment of the General Assembly, the objects of the corporation cannot 
be attained under the general laws. All general laws and special acts passed 
pursuant to this section may be altered, amended and repealed. 

2. All existing charters or grants of special or exclusive privilepes under 
which a bona fide organization shall not have taken place and business been 
commenced in good faith, at the time of the notification of this Constitution, 
shall thereafter have no validity. 

3. The General Assembly shall not remit the forfeiture of the charter of 
any corporation now existing, or alter or amend the same, or pass any gen- 
eral or special law for the benefit of such corporation, other than in execu- 



322 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



tion of a trust created by law or by contract, except upon the condition that 
such corporation shall thereafter hold its charter subject to the provisions of 
this Constitution. 

4. No foreign corporation shall do any business in this State without hav- 
ing at least one known place of business and an authorized agent or agents 
therein, and such corporation may be sued in any county where it does busi- 
ness by service of process upon an agent anywhere in this State. 

5. No corporation shall engage in any business other than that expressly 
authorized in its charter. 

6. No corporation shall issue stock or bonds except for money, labor done, 
or money or property actually received; and all fictitious increase of stock 
or indebtedness shall be void. The stock and bonded indebtedness of cor- 
porations shall not be increased, except in pursuance of general laws, nor 
without the consent of the persons holding the larger amount in value of 
stock, first obtained at a meeting to be held after thirty days notice given in 
pursuance of law. 

7. Municipal and other corporations and individuals invested with the 
privilege of taking private property for public use, shall make just compen- 
sation for the property taken, injured or destroyed by the construction or 
enlargement of its works, highways or improvements, which compensation 
shall be paid before such taking, injury or destruction. The General As- 
sembly is hereby prohibited from depriving auy person of an appeal from 
any preliminary assessment of damages against any such corporations or 
individuals made by viewers or otherwise ; and the amount of such damages 
in all cases of appeal shall, on the demand of either party, be determined by 
a jury according to law. 

8. Dues from private corporations shall be secured by such means as may 
be prescribed by law, but in no case shall any stockholder be individually 
liable otherwise than for the unpaid stock owned by him or her. 

9. No corporation shall issue preferred stock witliout the consent of the 
owners of two-thirds of the stock of said corporation. 

10. The General Assembly .shall have the power to alter, revoke or amend 
any charter of incorporation now existing, and revocable at the ratification of 
this Constitution, or any that may hereafter be created, whenever, in their 
opinion, it may be injurious to the citizens of this State, in such manner, 
however, that no injustice shall be done to the incoiporators. No law here- 
after enacted shall create, renew or extend the cliarter of more than one cor- 
poration . 

11. Any association or corporation organized for the purpose, or any indi- 
vidual shall have the right to construct and maintain lines of telegraph 
within this State, and connect the same with other lines, and the General 
Assembly shall, Vjy general law of uniform operation, provide reasonable 
regulations to give full eiTect to this section. No telegraph company shall 
consolidate with or hold a controlling interest in the stock or bonds of any 
other telegraph company owning a competing line, or acquire, by purchase 
or otherwise, any other competing line of telegraph. 

12. All corporations shall have the right to sue, and shall be subject to be 
sued, in all courts in like cases as natural persons. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 323 



13. The term corporation, as used in tfiis article, shall be construed to 
include all joint stook companies, or any associations having any of the 
powers or privileges of corporations not possessed by individuals or part- 
nerships. 

BANKS AND BANKING. 

* 

14. The General Assembly shall not have the power to establish or incor- 
porate any bank or banking company, or moneyed institution, for the pur- 
pose of issuing bills of credit, or bills payable to order or bearer, except 
under the conditions prescribed in this Constitution. 

15. No banks shall be established otherwise than under a general bank- 
ing law, nor otherwise than upon a specie basis. 

16. All bills or notes issued as money, shall be at all times redeemable in 
gold or silver, and no law shall be passed sanctioning, directly or indirectly, 
the suspension by any bank or banking company of specie payment. 

17. Holders of bank notes and depositors who have not stipulated for in- 
terest, shall, for such notes and deposits, be entitled in case of insolvency, 
to the preference of payment over all other creditors. 

18. Every bank or banking company shall be required to cease all bank- 
ing operations within twenty years from the time of its organization, (unless 
the General Assembly shall extend the time,) and promptly thereafter close 
its business ; but shall have corporate capacity to sue and shall be liable to 
suit until its affairs and liabilities are fully closed. 

19. No bank shall receive directly or indirectly, a greater rate of interes* 
than shall be allowed by law to individuals for lending money. 

20. The State shall not be a stockholder in any bank, nor shall the credit 
of the State ever be given, or loaned, to any banking company, association 
or corporation. 

RAILROADS AND CANALS. 

21. All railroads and canals shall be public highways, and all railroad and 
canal companies shall be common carriers. Any association or corporation 
organized for the purpose shall have the right to construct and operate a 
railroad between any points in this State, and connect at the State line, 
with railroads of other States. Every railroad company shall have the right 
■with its road to intersect, connect with, or cross any other railroad, and shall 
receive and transport, e^ch, the others freight, passengers and cars, loaded or 
empty, without delay or discrimination 

22. The General Assembly shall pass law.s to correct abuses and prevent 
unjust discrimination and extortion in the rates of freights and passenger 
tariffs on railroads, canals and rivers in this State. 

23. No railroad or other transportation company shall grant free passes, 
or sell tickets or passes at a discount other than as sold to the public gener- 
ally, to any member of the General Assembly, or to any person holding 
office under this State or the United States. 

24. No street passenger railway shall be constructed within the limits of 
any city or town, without the consent of its local authorities. 

25. Nofrailroad, canal or other transportation company in existence at 
the time of the ratification of this Constitution, stiall have the benefit of any 
future legislation, by general or special laws, other than in execution of a 



324 ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



trust created by law or by contract, except on the condition of complete ac- 
ceptance of all provisions of this article. 

ARTICLE XV. 

OATH OF OFFICE. 

1. All members of the General Assembly, and all officers, ejcecutive and 
judicial, before they enter upon the execution of the duties of their respec- 
tive offices, shall take the following oath or affirmation, to wit: 

'*!> , solemnly swear, [ or affirm, as the case may be ] that I 

will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of 
the State of Alabama, so long as I continue a citizen thereof, and that I will 
faithfully and honestly discharge the duties of the office upon which I am 
about to enter to the best of my ability, so help me God." Which oath may 
be administered by the presiding officer of either House of the General As- 
sembly, or any officer authorized by law to administer an oath. 

ARTICLE XVI. 

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. 

1. No person holding an office of profit under the United States, except 
postmasters whose annual salary does not exceed two hundred dollars, shall 
during his continuance in such office, hold any office of profit under this 
State; nor shall any person hold two offices of profit at one and the same 
time under this State, except justices of the peace, constables, notaries pub- 
lic and commissioners of deeds. 

2. It is made the duty of the General Assembly to enact all laws necessary 
to give effect to the provisions of this Constitution. 

ARTICLE XVII. 

MODE OF A>rENDING THE CONSTITUTION. 

1. The General Assembly may, whenever two-thirds of each house shall 
deem it necessary, propose amendments to this Constitution, whiqh having 
been read on three several days, in each house, shall be duly published in 
such manner as the General Assembly may direct, at least three months be- 
fore the next general election for Representatives, for the consideration of 
the people ; and it shall be the duty of the several returning officers, at the 
next general election which shall be held for Representatives, to open a poll 
for the vote of the qualified electors on the proposed amendments, and to 
make a return of said vote to the Secretary of State ; and if it shall there- 
upon appear that a majority of all the qualified electors of the State, who 
voted at said election, voted in favor of the proposed amendments, said 
amendments shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as part of this Con- 
stitution, and the result of such election shall be made known by proclama- 
tion of the Governor. 

2. No convention shall hereafter be held for the purpose of altering or 
amending the Constitution of this State, unless the question of Convention, 
or no Convention, shall first be submitted to a vote of all the electors of the 
State, and approved by a majoiity of those voting at said election. 



ALABAMA AS IT IS, 325 



SCHEDULE. 

In order that no injury or inconvenience may arise from the alterations and 
amendments made by this Constitutions to the existing Constitution of this 
State, and to carry this Constitution into effect, it is hereby ordained and de- 
clared, 1st. Tliat all laws in force at the ratification of this Constitution 
and not inconsistent therewith, shall remain in full force, until altered and 
repealed by the General Assembly; and all rights, actions, prosecutions, 
claims and contracts, of this State, counties, individuals or bodies corporate, 
not inconsistent with this Constitution, shall continue to be valid as if this 
Constitution had not been ratified. 

2. That all bonds executed by or to any officer of this State, all recogni- 
zances, obligations, and all other instruments executed to this State, or any 
subdivision or municipality thereof, before the ratification of this Constitution, 
and all fines, taxes, penalties and forfeitures due and owing to this State, or 
any subdivision, or any municipality thereof; and all writs, suits, prosecu- 
cutions, claims and causes of action, except as herein otherwise provided, 
shall continue aud remain unaffected by the ratification of this Constitution. 
All indictments which may have been found, or which may hereafter be found, 
for any crime or offense committed before the ratification of this Constitution, 
shall be proceeded upon in the same manner as if this Constitution had not 
been ratified. 

3. That all the executive and judicial officers, and all other officers in this 
State who shall have been elected at the election held in this State, on third 
day of November, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, or who may have been 
appointed since that time, and all members of the present General Assembly, 
and all that may hereafter be elected members of the present General Assem- 
bly, and all other officers holding ofl^ce at the time of the ratification of this 
Constitution, except such as hold office under any act of the General Assem- 
bly, shall continue in office, and exercise the duties thereof until their respec- 
tive terms shall expire, as provided by the present Constitution and laws of 
this State. 

4. This Constitution shall be submitted to the qualified electors of this 
State for ratification or rejection, as authorized and reciuired by an act of 
the General Assembly of this State, entitled " An act to provide for the 
calling of a Convention to revise and amend the Constitution of this State," 
approved nineteenth day of March, A. D., eighteen hundred and seventy- 
five. 

(j. That instead of the publication as required by section twelve of said 
Act, the Governor of the State, is hereby authorized to take such steps as 
will give general publicity and circulation to this Constitution in an as 
economical manner as practicable. 

7. That all laws requiring an enumeration of the inhabitants of this State 
during the year eighteen hundred and seventy-five, are hereV)y avoided. 

8. That the Board of Education of this State is hereby abolished. 

9. The salaries of the Executive and Judicial and all other officers of this 
State who may be holding office at the time of the ratification of this Consti- 
tution, and the pay of the present members of the General Assembly, shall 
not be alfected by the provisions of this Constitution. 

LEROY POPE WALKER, President. 



INDEX. 



Abbeville, Town of 242 

Agricultural and Mech. College. .112 

Alabama, Position of 6 

Alabama, Outline of 6 

Alabama, Area of 7 

Alabama, Population of 7 

Alabama. General Topography. . 7 
Alabama. Extent of Sea Coast... 7 

Alabama, Soils of. 7 

Alabama, Climate of 8 

Alabama, Cereal Belt 9 

Alabama River 282 

Altitudes 287 

Anniston, City of 99 

Autauga, County of . . 165 

Baldwin, County of 205 

Barbour, County of. 190 

Bessemer, Town of 76 

Bibb, County of 124 

Birmingham, City of 74 

Birmingham, Public School of 78 

Black Warrior River. 281 

Blount, County of 64 

Bullock, County of 184 

Butler, County of 219 

Cahaba, Coal Fields of 48 

Cahaba, River of 283 

Calera, Town of 81 

Calhoun, County of 98 

Capitol 173 

Cereal Belt 9 

Chambers, County of 107 

Cherokee, County of 95 

Chattahoochee, River of 285 

Chilton, County of 117 

Choctaw. County of 142 

Chattahoochee River 285 

Clarke, County of 208 



Clay, County of 103 

Cleburne, County of 101 

Coffee, Cuunty of 232 

Constitution of Alabama . 297 

Conecuh, County of 215 

Coosa, County of 115 

Coosa Coal Field 48 

Cotton Belt 132 

Covington, County of 223 

Crenshaw, County of 226 

Cullman, County of 62 

Cullman. Town of 63 

Dale, County of 238 

Dallas, County of 159 

Decatur, Town of 38 

DeKalb, County of 93 

Elmore, County of 181 

Escambia, County of 212 

Etowah, County of 90 

Eufaula, Town of 192 

East Lake A theneum 78 

Evergreen, Town of 218 

Fayette, County of 128 

Flora 256 

Florence, Town of 15 

Franklin, County of 50 

Gadsden, Town of 92 

Geneva, County of 235 

Greene, County of 144 

Greenville, Town of 221 

Greensboro, Town of 149 

Guntersvilie, Town of 33 

Hale, County of 147 

Healthfulness of Alabama 245 

Henry, County of 240 

Howard College 76 

Huntsville, City of 28 

Iron 49 



328 



ALABAMA AS IT IS. 



Jackson, County of 29 

Jacksonville, Town of . . 100 

Jefferson. County of 67 

Lamar, County of 130 

Lauderdale, County of 12 

Lawrence, County of 40 

Lee, County of 110 

Limestone, County of - 21 

Lowndes, County of 168 

Macon, County of 186 

Madison, County of 25 

Marengo, County of 150 

Marion, County of 52 

Marshall, County of 32 

Medical Association of State. 274 

Mineral Waters 275 

Mineral Belt 47 

Mobile, County of 201 

Mobile, City of ... 203 

Mobile River 279 

Monroe, County of 210 

Montgomery, County of 170 

Montgomery, City of 173 

Morgan, County of 36 

Mortality, Statistics of 267 

Noxubee River 282 



Opelika, Town of 112 

Perry, County of 162 

Pickens, County of 137 

Pike, County of 229 

Randolph, County of 105 

Rainfall 264 

River System of Alabama.. 278 

Russell, County of 188 

Shelby, County of 79 

Sipsey River 281 

Southern University 149 

State University. 120 

St. Clair, County of 86 

Sumter, County of 139 

Talladega, County of 82 

Talladega, Town of 85 

Tallapoosa, County of 112 

Tallapoosa River 284 

Tennessee River 278 

TomV)igbee River. 280 

Tuscaloosa, County of 119 

Tuscaloosa, Town of 122 

Walker, County of 59 

Washington, County of 199 

Wilcox, County of 155 

Winston, County of 56 



Lr JL '08 



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